Poorer areas in Britain are less than half as likely to see heat pumps installed than in richer places, think tank says.
A new report from the Resolution Foundation has warned the roll out of heat pumps is ‘miles off track’.
While two thirds (64%) of British homes are expected to be fitted with a heat pump by 2050, fewer than 100,000 were installed in 2024 – a fraction of the 1.5 million gas boilers fitted.
The slow adoption of heat pumps is largely down to the cost, the think tank found. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides a subsidy of £7,500 but heat pumps still cost £5,400 to install.
This mean that less than one-in-five (19%) heat pumps in use today are in the poorest third of neighbourhoods, while almost half (45%) are in the richest third.
Jonathan Marshall, principal economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: ‘The mass adoption of heat pumps in our homes is vital if Britain is to hit its net zero targets. But the roll-out is miles off track, with heat pumps particularly out of reach for many poorer families.’
