The UK currently relies on natural gas for domestic heating
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
Also in this section
12 March 2026
Role of world’s largest carbon cap-and-trade market under scrutiny as war in Iran threatens to drive EU energy costs to unsustainable levels
10 March 2026
Europe urgently needs to bring more projects to FID, as CCS investors warn they might divert capital to faster-growing regions
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
