Public Perceptions of Heat Decarbonisation in Great Britain: Awareness, Values and the Social Circle Effect, 2023

The decarbonisation of domestic heating is essential for the UK to achieve net zero carbon emissions, but requires significant changes in domestic infrastructure. Public participation plays a pivotal role in this transition, yet public attitudes towards decarbonised heating remain under-researched and poorly understood. We collected a nationally representative dataset via an online survey of 2,226 individuals in Great Britain, and an additional booster sample dataset of 1,378 individuals in Scotland and Wales specifically. The survey explored attitudes to three decarbonised heating technologies currently being trialled or entering the market: heat pumps, hydrogen heating, and district heating networks. A wide dataset of interrelated variables was collected, including heating system preference and usage, knowledge and support for decarbonised heating, environmental and energy security concerns, perceptions of trust and responsibility, financial considerations, and many others. Central to the study was an informed choice decision pathway element designed to investigate key factors underlying personal willingness to adopt each technology.