The boiler installation experts at BOXT analysed public interest in different types of energy efficiency solutions, the regions installing the most heat pumps, solar panels, and EV chargers, the most popular energy-saving solution in each UK city and the government energy schemes people are most interested in to create a comprehensive energy trends report.

One in six households in the Outer Hebrides islands has had an air source heat pump installed in the last 10 years. The Scottish Government has a Net Zero target of 2045 and aims to fulfil this (partly) by providing a £7,500 grant with the Home Energy Scotland Scheme for homeowners to install air source heat pumps. Data suggests these heat pumps are replacing oil heating systems, which are costly.

Air source heat pumps are also seeing a significant uptake in installations in the Scottish Orkney Islands, with almost one in 10 households receiving the energy-efficient upgrade in the last 10 years. Orkney is off the UK gas grid. Therefore, homes on the island mainly used oil-powered heating systems in the past. Since Scotland has a Net Zero target of 2045, many homes have switched to using air-source heat pumps for heating purposes.

Argyll and Bute is one of the Scottish local authorities leading the way with air source heat pump installations. Many domestic properties in the area have adopted heat pumps in the last 10 years, as many rural homes on the inhabited islands do not receive a gas supply. Air source heat pumps are much more cost-effective than oil heating systems.

Further findings:

• The Cold Weather Payment is the most popular government scheme in the UK, with almost 1.17 million searches in 2023. 

• Stirling has installed the most photovoltaic solar panels in the last 10 years, with 14% of households installing panels.

• London is the region of England with the highest number of public EV chargers per 100,000 people, with 210.5. London also has more electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles than any other UK region. On average, almost one in six (14%) licensed vehicles across all London boroughs are electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids.

• The local authority area with the highest rise in public EV chargers is Rhondda Cynon Taf, where chargers rose by 317% from just 35 in 2023 to 146 in 2024.

• Liverpool had the most significant increase in searches for energy efficiency trends in 2023, with a rise of 10% from the previous year, seeing search volumes reach an annual total of 67,900. The most searched-for trend in Liverpool was smart meters, with 13,100 searches. 
  
  https://www.boxt.co.uk/news/guides/home-energy-trends-report-2024