UK low-carbon heating bubbles under

The UK faces challenges on multiple fronts in its effort to decarbonise domestic heating

The UK aims to phase out the installation of new and replacement domestic gas boilers by 2035 as part of its 2050 net-zero strategy. But the low-carbon alternatives, such as electric heat pumps, have their own cost and feasibility challenges that could limit the UK’s decarbonisation of heating this decade. The government’s Heating and Buildings Strategy sets an ambition to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028, up from the current annual rate of about 35,000. To date, 265,000 heat pumps have been installed—accounting for less than 1pc of the country’s total heat capacity. The UK has lagged behind mainland Europe in heat pump installations in part due to its historic dependence on North S