Official Statistics

DESNZ Public Attitudes Tracker: Heat and energy use in the home, Summer 2025, UK

Published 28 October 2025

The DESNZ Public Attitudes Tracker is a nationally representative annual survey of adults (aged 16+) in the UK that tracks public awareness, attitudes and behaviours relating to the policies of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), such as energy and climate change.

This report provides a summary of the headline findings relating to heat and energy use in the home from the Summer 2025 wave of the Tracker, which ran from 8 July to 13 August 2025.

Notes for interpretation of findings

Differences between groups are only reported where they are statistically significant at the 95% confidence interval level.

The annual personal income referred to in the report is a self-reported measure.

Line charts included in this report, based on a longer time series, use abbreviated season names in the x-axis (e.g. Summer 2025 = Sum 2025). 

The age-related findings are reported using 6 age groups (16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64 65 and over). In some cases, findings across age groups have been combined to describe a general trend, for example, ‘between 78% and 88% of people aged 45 and above’ refers to the range of percentages for the 3 age groups 45-54, 55-64 and 65+.

Please note that some of the geographical findings have fluctuated over time. These variations may, in part, be due to the base sizes in specific areas and the wide geographic area covered by regions.

Two summary self-reported measures are used in this report:

• ‘Awareness’ encompasses all respondents who said they had heard of a particular concept or technology, including those who said they know ‘hardly anything but I’ve heard of this’, ‘a little’, ‘a fair amount’ or ‘a lot’.
• ‘Knowledge’ encompasses those who said that they know ‘a fair amount’ or ‘a lot’ about a topic.

Awareness of heating changes to meet Net Zero targets

Respondents were presented with the following explanation: ‘In the lead up to 2050, the way we heat almost all of our homes and buildings will need to change in order to reach the UK government’s Net Zero target’.

Figure 4.1 displays both the longer-term trends in overall awareness and knowledge (a lot/fair amount) of the need to change the ways our homes are heated to reach Net Zero (line chart) and the detailed awareness and knowledge data for the most recent 2 waves alongside the baseline (bar chart).

Over the longer-term, awareness of the need to change the way homes and buildings are heated to reach the Net Zero target has remained broadly stable, albeit with some fluctuations. Following an increase at the start of the tracking series between Autumn 2021 and Winter 2021, levels of knowledge have since remained largely stable.

In Summer 2025, 42% said they knew a lot or a fair amount, up from 39% in Spring 2025. Overall awareness also increased from 86% to 88%.

Figure 4.1: Awareness of the need to change the way homes are heated to reach Net Zero targets in 2050 (% based on all people), Autumn 2021 to Summer 2025

HEATHOMEKNOW. In the lead up to 2050, the way we heat almost all of our homes and buildings will need to change in order to reach the UK government’s Net Zero target. Before today, how much if anything did you know about this?

Base: All wave respondents – Autumn 2021 (5,552), Winter 2021 (3,705), Spring 2022 (4,374), Summer 2022 (4,489), Autumn 2022 (4,160), Winter 2022 (3,572), Spring 2023 (4,406), Summer 2023 (3,998), Winter 2023 (3,741), Spring 2024 (4,083), Summer 2024 (3,640), Winter 2024 (3,211), Spring 2025 (3,412), Summer 2025 (3,525) (Asked each wave).

Note: On the line chart, arrows denote a significant difference between one wave and the next. For the bar chart, significant differences are noted between Autumn 2021 and Spring 2025, and between Spring 2025 and Summer 2025.

Analysis by subgroups

Self-reported knowledge (the percentage who felt they knew a lot or a fair amount) about the need to change the way homes are heated to reach Net Zero targets was higher among the following subgroups:

• People in age groups 55 and over: between 47% and 49% compared with between 34% and 38% in age groups 16 to 44.
• People who said they knew a lot or a fair amount about Net Zero: 72% compared with 9% of those who knew a little or hardly anything and 3% of those who were not aware of Net Zero.

People living in owner-occupied homes: 48% vs 32% living in rented accommodation, lower for social renters (27%) than private renters (40%).

Heat Pumps

Awareness of heat pumps, and likelihood to install them, has been asked annually in Winter waves since Winter 2021 alongside similar questions for other types of low carbon heating. From Spring 2025, an adapted shorter version of this question was added to allow more frequent tracking of awareness and attitudes towards air source and ground source heat pumps only^{[footnote 1]}. Awareness of the more complete list of all 7 types of low carbon heating systems will continue to be tracked annually in Winter waves.

Awareness of heat pumps

A brief description of 2 types of heat pump was provided to respondents as follows:

• Air source heat pumps - these extract heat from the outside air to heat your home and water.
• Ground source heat pumps - these extract heat from pipes buried in the ground to heat your home and water.

Figure 4.2 shows awareness of air source heat pumps and Figure 4.3 shows awareness of ground source heat pumps.

Over the longer-term, awareness and knowledge (knowing a lot or a fair amount) of both air source and ground source heat pumps increased steadily between Winter 2021 and Spring 2025. However, in Summer 2025, awareness and knowledge decreased, especially in relation to ground source heat pumps.

Awareness of air source heat pumps declined from 79% in Spring 2025 to 76% in Summer 2025, although remaining above the Winter 2021 level of 71%. Awareness of ground source heat pumps decreased from 76% to 70% over this same period, although still above the Winter 2021 level of 67%.

In Summer 2025, the higher level of knowledge of air source heat pumps was maintained at 26%, remaining above the Winter 2021 level of 20%. However, for ground source heat pumps, knowledge fell from 24% in Spring 2025 to 21% in Summer 2025, closer to the Winter 2021 level of 19%.

Figure 4.2: Knowledge about air source heat pumps (% based on all people), Winter 2021, Winter 2022, Winter 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025

LCHEATKNOW1. How much would you say you know about the following low carbon heating systems: air source heat pumps?

Base: All wave respondents – Winter 2021 (3,696), Winter 2022 (3,552), Winter 2023 (3,736), Winter 2024 (3,209), Spring 2025 (3,410), Summer 2025 (3,524).

Figure 4.3: Knowledge about ground source heat pumps (% based on all people), Winter 2021, Winter 2022, Winter 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025

LCHEATKNOW2. How much would you say you know about the following low carbon heating systems: ground source heat pumps?

Base: All wave respondents – Winter 2021 (3,693), Winter 2022 (3,560), Winter 2023 (3,729), Winter 2024 (3,211), Spring 2025 (3,406), Summer 2025 (3,516).

Note: On the line charts (Figures 4.2 and 4.3), arrows denote a significant difference between one wave and the next. For the bar charts, significant differences are noted between Winter 2021 and Spring 2025, and between Spring 2025 and Summer 2025.

Analysis by subgroups

For these 2 types of heat pump, the following general trends were observed.

By age:

• For both types of heat pump, older people were more likely than younger people to report both awareness and knowledge. For example, awareness of air source heat pumps was between 86% and 87% for people in age groups 55 and over, falling to 59% of those aged below 25; knowledge followed a similar pattern.

By tenure:

• People living in owner-occupied households were more likely than those in rented households to say they were aware of both air source heat pumps (84% vs 63%) and ground source heat pumps (78% vs 58%), with knowledge following a similar pattern.

By self-reported knowledge of Net Zero:

• Awareness and knowledge of both types of heat pumps were substantially higher for those who reported higher levels of knowledge of Net Zero. For example, 89% of those who felt they knew at least a fair amount about Net Zero were aware of air source heat pumps, compared with only 29% of those who had never heard of Net Zero, with knowledge levels showing a similar pattern (42% vs 5%).

Likelihood to install heat pumps

To gauge the propensity to adopt heat pumps, respondents were asked if they would consider installing an air source heat pump or a ground source heat pump^{[footnote 2]}.

Two in 10 of all respondents (20% for air source heat pumps, 21% for ground source heat pumps) said that a decision around installing a new heating system was not theirs to make. This was mainly explained by people renting: for each type of heat pump over 4 in 10 renters said that this was not their decision to make (42% air source, 43% ground source) compared with under 1 in 10 people in owner-occupier households (7% air source, 8% ground source). Given the high rate of renters who said these questions were not applicable to them, the findings for these questions have been based only on people living in owner-occupied households.

Figures 4.4 and 4.5 respectively display the likelihood to install air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps, rebased on all owner-occupiers. Only a very small proportion of owner occupiers in Summer 2025 said that they had already installed one (2% for air source heat pumps and 1% for ground source heat pumps).

At each wave, a substantial proportion of people in owner-occupied households reported not knowing enough about each system to make a decision, but this has decreased steadily over time: from 39% in Winter 2021 to 21% in Summer 2025 for air source heat pumps, and from 39% to 22% over the same period for ground source heat pumps.

Over the longer term, between Winter 2021 and Spring 2025, there was a steady increase in the proportion who already have or are very or fairly likely to install either type of heat pump. However, these increases have not continued in Summer 2025. As this is the first time these questions have been asked in the Summer, it is worth noting that this may be a seasonal effect^{[footnote 3]}.

Overall likelihood to install or already have an air source heat pump fell from 26% in Spring 2025 to 23% in Summer 2025 but remaining above the Winter 2021 level (19%). Overall likelihood to install or already have a ground source heat pump reduced from 18% to 14% over this time period, closer to the Winter 2021 level (13%).

Between Winter 2024 and Summer 2025, the proportion of respondents who said they were unlikely to install has increased from 38% to 49% for air source heat pumps and from 43% to 55% for ground source heat pumps. This may include a seasonal effect, and trends will be reviewed in the next wave when Winter 2025 can be compared against Winter 2024.

Around 1 in 5 reported not knowing enough about heat pumps (21%), a decline from around 2 in 5 in Winter 2021 (39%).

Figure 4.4: Whether likely to install air source heat pumps next time they need to change (% based on people living in owner-occupied accommodation), Winter 2021, Winter 2022, Winter 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025

LCHEATINSTALL1. How likely is it that you would install each of the following heating systems in your home when you next need to change your heating system or boiler: air source heat pumps?

Base: All wave respondents living in owner-occupier households – Winter 2021 (2,738), Winter 2022 (2,566), Winter 2023 (2,681), Winter 2024 (2,476), Spring 2025 (2,622), Summer 2025 (2,788).

Figure 4.5: Whether likely to install ground source heat pumps next time they need to change (% based on people living in owner-occupied accommodation), Winter 2021, Winter 2022, Winter 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025

LCHEATINSTALL2. How likely is it that you would install each of the following heating systems in your home when you next need to change your heating system or boiler: ground source heat pumps?

Base: All wave respondents living in owner-occupier households – Winter 2021 (2,728), Winter 2022 (2,561), Winter 2023 (2,643), Winter 2024 (2,448), Spring 2025 (2,614), Summer 2025 (2,780).

Note: On the line charts (in Figures 4.4 and 4.5), vertical scale has been reduced to 0-80%, and arrows denote a significant difference between one wave and the next. For the bar charts, significant differences are noted between Winter 2021 and Spring 2025, and between Spring 2025 and Summer 2025.

Analysis by subgroups

The following subgroup trends on likelihood to install heat pumps are also based on owner-occupiers only. The age-related findings are based on ages 25 and above due to a low base (< n=100) of owner-occupiers in the 16-24 age group.

By age:

• People aged 25 to 34 were more likely than other age groups to say that they lacked sufficient knowledge about heat pumps to provide an answer (30% for air source and 35% for ground source heat pumps) or that it was not their decision to make (9% and 10% respectively).
• Older people in age groups 55 and above were less likely than younger people to consider installing both types of heat pump. For example, between 14% and 19% of those in age groups 55 and over would consider installing air source heat pumps compared with 29% of those in age groups 25 to 44.

By annual personal income:

• People with a higher personal income were more likely to consider installing an air source heat pump: between 24% and 30% of those with income bands of £30,000 or over compared with between 14% and 17% of those with an income below £30,000.
• There was no difference by income for ground source heat pumps.

By self-reported knowledge of Net Zero and climate change concern:

• The proportion unable to express an opinion (don’t know enough about this to make a decision or not my decision to make) was far higher among those who had not heard of Net Zero compared with those who said they knew a lot or a fair amount. For example, for ground source heat pumps this difference was 43% vs 16%.
• People who were very concerned about climate change were more likely to consider installing both types of heat pumps compared to those not concerned about climate change. For example, 32% of those very concerned compared to 5% of those not concerned about climate change said they would be likely to install an air source heat pump.

Further findings on heat and energy in the home

In previous waves, questions were included on other topics relating to heat and energy in the home. The latest findings relating to these topics can be found as follows:

• Awareness and likelihood to install a range of different types of low carbon heating systems, and attitudes towards such systems, see Winter 2024 report on heat and energy use in the home – section on ‘Low carbon heating systems’
• Attitudes towards solar panels in the home, including likelihood to install and what might encourage installation, see Spring 2025 report on heat and energy in the home – section on ‘Attitudes towards solar panels in the home’
• The main systems used to heat and cool homes, see Winter 2024 report on heat and energy use in the home – section on ‘Heating and cooling in the home’
• Likelihood to replace heating systems and who people would trust to provide advice about which heating system to install, see Winter 2024 report on heat and energy use in the home – section on ‘Likelihood to replace heating systems’
• Awareness of Energy Performance Certificates and EPC recommendations, and changes made as a result, see Winter 2024 report on heat and energy use in the home – section on ‘Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)’
• Awareness of the minimum energy standards for rental properties, see Winter 2024 report on heat and energy use in the home – section on ‘Awareness of rental property standards’
• Types of insulation in the home, see Winter 2022 report on heat and energy in the home - section on ‘Insulation in the home’

1. The fieldwork period in Spring 2025 followed a DESNZ heat pump campaign in England and Wales called ‘Feel All Warm and Fuzzy Inside’ (6th March 2025), which aimed to increase heat pump adoption and applications for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. ↩

2. Results throughout this section are weighted by individuals. In practice, the differences between weighting these results by individual or by household are minor and do not change the narrative of the results. ↩

3. Likelihood of installing air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps will be asked again in the wider module on low carbon heating systems in the Winter 2025 wave, which will allow more valid comparisons with previous Winter findings. ↩