Younger households, who tend to live in rented flats. Often extremely eco-friendly with high levels of consideration – they may not be able to install a heat pump now, but likely will in the future.

By the numbers

This segment comprises 2.3 million younger households (with 46% of heads of household in this group aged 35 or younger), tending to live in one or two-bedroom rented flats. This segment is prominent in densely urban UK city areas.

They are heavy internet users who stream TV on personal devices and frequently use social media apps. In this group, 39% are saving for travel or holidays, with 26% saving to buy a property. This is the segment most likely to have moved house in the last 12 months (13%) and is the highest of all the segments to read the Guardian (28%) and BBC News (54%). This group is almost twice as likely to have listened to a podcast in the last week as the national average (30% vs 16%).

This segment tends to have a heightened awareness of environmental issues and a strong desire to make a positive impact on the planet: 68% believe climate change is the biggest threat to civilisation, and 45% consider themselves an environmentalist – this is the highest for both statements across all segments. They are confident with technology and use digital platforms to stay informed. Social media often plays a significant role in shaping their attitudes.

They are often extremely eco-friendly, with 52% saying they would consider a heat pump for the next heating system in the next five years. While they may not be able to install a heat pump in their rented home, they are likely to in the future.

For 29%, the biggest barrier to getting a heat pump would be installation costs, followed closely by 27% who state it wouldn't be suitable for their property. The benefit most likely to persuade this segment to purchase a heat pump in the future would be that it is more environmentally friendly and sustainable than traditional heating systems (30%) – lower energy bills came out as a distant second at 17%.

Deep dive interview insights

Priorities for current heating system

Budget-conscious in general, this segment already adopts strategies to reduce their energy bills. Having a reliable heating system – and avoiding the stress of system breakdowns – and a warm, comfortable home matters.

Benefits of moving to electricity

Escaping volatile gas prices and standing charges is seen as a motivator to help with daily budgeting. This segment in particular is also motivated by being environmentally friendly. The ability to cool the home in the summer is an evolving priority for this segment. In addition, preventing damp and mould in the home is of particular importance, and a challenge they face as renters who must rely on landlords to address property issues. Finally, reducing the risk of gas leaks is seen as a motivating factor.

Approaches for preparatory upgrades

They rely on their landlord to make decisions around both the heating system and the preparatory works, which means that, while this segment is in principle very favourable towards upgrades, the decision is out of their control.

Sources of information

This segment reports the wide use of AI tools, alongside search engines. They also trust information sourced from social media and video content. They report high trust in expert sources.

Attitudes towards heat pumps

This segment is mainly positive about installing a heat pump in the future, seeing it as a potential money-saving solution in the long term. They say they lack both basic knowledge of how heat pumps work and specific information on running costs, payback periods and required preparatory work.

Potential message themes for this audience

As this segment is heavily weighted towards those living in rented flats, the decision-making for their heating systems falls outside of their immediate control. It is also likely that an individual heat pump may not be the solution in the immediate future. However, this segment is positive, in general, around heat pumps, with a commitment to installing in the future. So, while not immediate adopters, they are potential heat pump owners. They may also have some say in changes to their home currently.

This segment tends to be budget-conscious, adopting strategies such as scheduling heating to avoid expensive energy bills and valuing a reliable heating system. They are apprehensive about the technology and keen to see long-term costs.

Messages to this segment could do well to emphasise how heat pumps can provide a warm, comfortable and safe home, and predictable bills. It may also be useful to focus on the constant temperature, preventing damp and mould. Messages could also directly talk to tenants to offer practical ways to pass details of government grants and the benefits of a constantly warm home on to their landlord.