Net Zero: Who’s Responsible: Government vs The Individual?

A YouGov poll released today surveyed seven countries in Europe to collect the measures individuals were willing to take to achieve their country’s climate goals. The respondents were also questioned on the lengths their respective governments would go to achieve Net Zero goals.

Questions were asked across the UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, and Italy, which varied from simply – ‘Do you want the government committed to planting more trees’ or ‘Banning all single-use plastic’ to more personal questions including ‘would you only walk, cycle or use public transport’. These direct questions which would have a harder impact on the respondent’s life proved to be the most unpopular.

When asked about utilising government subsidies to improve energy efficiency in the home, over 75% in the UK said they were in favour, however, in reality, the take-up of these subsidies has been significantly lower.

Public Contributions To Net Zero

The vast majority of those who were surveyed believed in climate change. Only a maximum of 5% across any of the seven countries denied it was happening. In the UK, 77% said they were ‘fairly to very worried’ about the climate and accepted the effects were because of human activity.

With this acceptance that climate change is being accelerated by the acts of humans, there seems to be a lack of personal responsibility, when it comes to making the changes to combat the effects. Just 24% in the UK said they’d limit meat and dairy intake to two or three meals a week and only 27% would even consider exclusively purchasing second-hand clothes.

More aggressive government policy was popular, with tougher regulations on the packaging of food and banning all single-use plastic with both seeing over 75% approval across the majority of the seven countries.

Support for Energy Efficiency

With over three-quarters of survey responses in the UK actively willing to upgrade their home to a high energy-efficient standard, it’s a worry that these numbers haven’t translated into real-time action. As diets and fashion choices aren’t changing, working with an already popular alternative, like energy efficiency, should be seen as a high priority for action.

The ‘Boiler Upgrade Scheme’ which is currently the only subsidy offered by the government to improve the energy efficiency of a home, hasn’t caught flight, and with hydrogen systems potentially still using fossil fuels in a hybrid system. The lack of options for financial help is proving troubling.

The ‘Boiler Upgrade Scheme’ relies on the homeowner choosing to install an Air Source Heat Pump, whilst these ASHP are eco-friendly, sustainable, and will drastically improve the energy efficiency of a home, they aren’t suitable for everyone. ASHP requires a well-insulated home to heat the home sufficiently and economically, something the UK lacks on a large scale. In 2022, around 60,000 heat pumps were installed, the smallest number in Europe.

If the government is to reach the Net Zero 2050 target. Alternatives must be offered.

What Are The Alternatives?

Keith Bastian, CEO of Fischer Future Heat, understands the need for options to be put on the table and thinks a lot more should be done:

I believe the adoption can only take place if the government push heavily towards people moving to any form of electrical heating.

I think, because given the market, there are so many options available for consumers. A heat pump could be for somebody else, boiler for somebody else, just normal radiators, it could be all kinds of things, infrared heating, there’s loads and loads of heating.

The end result is we’re no longer using fossil fuels in the home. You no longer have pollution from homes to boilers and combustion kind of units. Also similar to what they’re doing with cars. So, I think there should just be the term electric heating like this.

Fischer Future Heat has 15 years of experience in heating UK homes with alternative electric systems, providing their customers with a variety of energy-efficient solutions including electric radiators and electric boilers – helping to lower the carbon usage of British homes.

Using the blanket term electric heating or allowing the consumer to choose which system is correct for them is the best way to encourage action. As moving to different forms of heating, after being reliant on gas and oil for so long, can be daunting, Mr. Bastian believes the key is to not leave the consumer worse off than before:

Customers, not all of them, are not in the best place afterward (installing a heat pump). That leaves a very bad taste in their mouth about this whole episode of change. This is why the customer needs to choose experts like ourselves, going out and advising customers. We can say actually, you shouldn’t have a heat pump. You should have this and the government should back it, because ultimately, it’s the best solution for the customer.

The grants that they provide should be given on that basis, the fact that people are pulling out the fossil fuel boiler, or fossil fuel system and putting electric heating systems in the home should be rewarded.

That should be the thing, not whether it’s a heat pump, whether it’s this, whether it’s that as long as that is achieved because ultimately the goal for a government is getting to 2050 and meeting our target.

There is a willingness to upgrade and replace current energy systems (if the help is there) in the UK. It’s unclear why other options haven’t become available. 26% of total emissions in the UK are emitted from the home and if Net Zero is going to be a success, that number needs to be addressed.

On the topic of more grants, when used as a starting point to spur change, Mr Bastian believes it’s the way to go, before the general public start to make their own organic choices.

I think when you look at offering grants, that’s good. That’s a good concept to make the change, they’re never designed as a continuous solution. They’re designed just to kickstart a change.

What you’ll find with grants is ultimately then more and more people start doing it themselves. And that’s all that’s how it should be. But because it’s only tied to heat pumps, there are very few homes actually installing one. The adoption is poor, not because people are not signed up, people have signed up to it. But I think it’s only 30 or 40% of the people who sign up to it actually get it, the rest don’t.

So that’s because of a number of reasons: the property is not suitable, there’s all those things.

The assessment on grants is correct and while currently less than 50% in the UK are willing to personally cover the cost to make the home more efficient, that number is bound to increase as options are made available and if a change of strategy regarding grants happens.

If the main barrier in fighting climate change is lessening the impact on an individual’s life, according to YouGov, there is no reason for fewer options or an increasing number of hurdles to be placed on the road to Net Zero with home energy efficiency.

Reaching the end goal of sustainability and a carbon-free future isn’t a ‘One Size Fit’s All’ approach.

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