“The Prime Minister was referring to heat pumps, which his Government has pledged to install in 600,000 homes every year by 2028. They are a “big bet”, as Mr Johnson put it, in the Government’s strategy to reach net zero emissions by 2050. They are highly energy-efficient and well-suited to the UK’s relatively mild climate, and are the only commercially proven low-carbon replacement for gas and oil-fired boilers on the market.
If this “big bet” is to pay off, further innovation will be needed to lower their cost and boost their performance. Key to this will be stimulating private-sector investment by incentivising demand and establishing a strong domestic supply chain. The Prime Minister speaks of needing to “build the market in a very systematic way” and he is correct – but until now there has been no systemic thinking. The Heat and Buildings Strategy next week is the moment to set out serious interventions to kick-start the market.”
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