The latest Public Attitudes Tracker from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has been published, showing the public temperament towards energy and climate issues. The quarterly questionnaire asked more than 2000 adults about issues ranging from fracking to their own heating systems. Here, PHAM News rounds up some of standout results.
Around half of those questioned said they had a condensing boiler, similar to previous results. However they were in no hurry to upgrade them, with only 12% saying they would consider replacing their heating system while it was still operational. Two-thirds would look to replace it only due to a breakdown or deterioration in performance. As of December 2018, 19% said they had replaced their boiler or heating system within the past three years.
The majority of people who were involved in choosing new heating equipment said they found it easy to get the information they needed (60%), with 91% saying they felt they felt they had the right information to help them make a good decision.
When asked about the most helpful sources of information on installing or replacing their heating system, 79% named heating engineers, making installers the most trusted and helpful source of advice and information.
Commenting on this result, Stewart Clements, Director, the Heating & Hotwater Industry Council, says:
“Heating engineers are consistently cited as the most trusted traders in Britain. I am delighted to see that they continue to receive the recognition they deserve. One in two of the consumers surveyed (53%) named heating engineers as their ‘go to’ source of advice for their new or replacement heating system.
“What’s more, more than nine in ten said they were happy with the advice they received.
“Heating engineers are one of the most highly trained and scrutinised professions of all the trades. This latest recognition is testament to the honest, reliable and hardworking industry that continues to deliver customer satisfaction and high-quality workmanship for gas heating systems in the 85% of UK homes that rely on gas.”
Renewable energy
While the results of the questionnaire show that people are informed and engaged in issues relating to their gas heating system, there has been a decline in their awareness of renewable energy sources. Awareness of renewable heating systems decreased from 65% in December 2017 to 52% in December 2018, its lowest point across the tracker.
In December 2018, people were more aware of solar thermal panels (71%), well ahead of biomass boilers (38%), ground source heat pumps (33%) and air source heat pumps (27%).
Similarly, people were more likely to have had solar panels installed (7%) than other types of renewable heating system (1% or less). They were also more likely to say they would install solar panels in the next few years (6%) than any other renewable heating system (2% or less). The most common reason given for being unlikely to install renewable heating systems was that it would cost too much (30%).
Just over half (52%) of the public said they were aware of renewable heating systems, most of whom said they didn’t really know what it was or knew a little. Only 6% said they knew a lot about renewable heating systems.
