New data discovered by renewable energy specialists The Eco Experts reveals that a lack of publicity has contributed to the disappointing performance of the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Google Trends search data highlights a clear consumer interest in ‘air source heat pumps’ over the last 12 months, but minimal searches for the ‘boiler upgrade scheme’ or ‘heat pump grant’.
According to data collated by The Eco Experts, there was keen public interest around ‘air source heat pumps’ in 2022, with UK searches for the term hitting peak popularity of 100 from 11th-17th December 2022. Yet interest around the ‘boiler upgrade scheme’ during the same year was significantly low, with searches for the scheme peaking at a mere 15 from the 3rd-9th April 2022. The term ‘heat pump grant’ also experienced a low search volume in 2022. Its highest search score reached just 28 from the 27th March-2nd April.
In 2022, search popularity for the ‘boiler upgrade scheme’ and ‘heat pump grant’ reached their highest scores before the government scheme had even launched, yet searches for ‘air source heat pumps’ peaked several months later. This shows that searches for the scheme never reached the search volumes that air source heat pumps did.
The UK government launched its Boiler Upgrade Scheme in May 2022 to help households cut the cost of their energy bills, while encouraging sustainable living to help the country achieve its net-zero ambitions. But during the first five months of its launch, the scheme fulfilled just 33% of the heat pump installations it needed to reach its overall target. Data from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme even shows that the number of heat pump installations has decreased since the scheme began.
The Eco Experts writer and researcher Josh Jackman comments: “The government has failed the public and the planet by refusing to publicise its own Boiler Upgrade Scheme in a year when consumer interest around air source heat pumps has reached peak popularity. This new data highlights the government’s two-faced approach to its climate targets: introduce a grant to tick a box, then neglect it completely.
“After ending the plug-in grant and Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive in 2022, this deliberate abandonment of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes the government’s record on providing UK households with energy-saving and affordable technology to a new low”.
To equip UK homeowners with the tools to assess whether air source heat pumps could help to reduce their energy bills costs, The Eco Experts has launched an Air Source Heat Pump Cost Calculator. In line with the government scheme, this tool instantly provides homeowners with the total average cost for a heat pump installation, and how much of their carbon footprint could be reduced.
