Heat pumps were the most searched energy source in the UK in the period between November 2022 and December 2023, according to research by Confused.com. On average, they gained 96,000 Google searches per month, totaling over one million searches over a year.
Confused.com looked at the UK’s most in demand renewable energy sources based on consumer search data and amount of media mentions. It also found the UK locations with the most renewable energy installation companies to reveal which area is the most prepared for renewable energy adoption.
This research comes as Brits continue to pay out hundreds of pounds each month in energy bills, a statement said. The current price cap, which sits at £1,928, is still 64% higher than four years ago, it noted.
As well as Googling the alternative heating system, people are also seeking information on TikTok with 57,900 monthly searches. People are also starting the purchase process, on Amazon with 120,000 monthly searches and 62,100 monthly searches on eBay.
The reason for the high demand in heat pumps may be a result of the UK government’s current Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the statement added. This offers a £7,500 grant for the cost and installation of an air source and ground source heat pump. You can buy these for between £8,750 to £14,050. Therefore, people are increasingly seeking information on heat pumps to decide whether to make the switch before the grant ends in 2027, it cited.
Solar panels take second spot, gaining 68,187 searches per month in 2023. The statement said that this is unsurprising considering that on average it takes just 1.6 years to offset their carbon footprint, as solar panels save over 9kg of CO2 each year.
Additionally, electric radiators with 39,323 monthly searches, wind turbines with 23,515 monthly searches and underfloor heating with 37,400 monthly searches are also in high demand. While Google searches each month are considerable, Amazon searches for these energy sources were higher, the research found.
For example, searches for electric radiators on Amazon were 31% higher than Google searches last year. Wind turbine and underfloor heating searches were 41% and 35% higher on Amazon, this shows that Brits are looking to buy renewable energy installations.
While it’s evident that demand for renewable energy sources is high, the research found that supply for the installation of green energy is lacking. In fact, only 17% of all UK towns and cities have at least one renewable company per 10,000 population. In 12% of locations there are no renewable energy installation companies registered at all.
The research found that Aldershot is ‘leading the way’ in sustainable energy. This Hampshire town has 6.5 renewable energy installation companies per 10,000 population.
Chatham takes second place with 4.2 renewable installation companies per 10,000 people. Crawley’s population is 35% larger than Chatham, this reduces the number of available renewable installation companies to 2.7 per 10,000 people.
A spokesperson for Confused.com energy said: “The UK is ramping up its sustainability efforts as it aims to reach net zero by 2050. Because of this, individuals are beginning to show interest in green energy sources to heat their homes.
“It’s clear that the interest for green energy sources is there, with searches for these energy sources increasing each year. But the supply of green energy installation companies is still lacking.
“However, with the support from government initiatives offering funding to support skills training in green energy, we might start to see a larger shift towards renewable energy adoption. While the costs of switching energy sources comes at an initial expense, it’s much cheaper than heating your home using traditional fossil fuels in the long run.”