Encouraging heat pump installations in Ireland: A Behavioural Economics Perspective

Behavioural Insights for Policy series: Evidence review 

Year: 2020 

Topic: Heat pump adoption 

Methodology: Literature review 

Author: SEAI Behavioural Economics Unit 

Summary: 

To meet the targets outlined in Ireland's Climate Action Plan, the annual number of heat pumps installed in existing homes will need to increase by over a factor of 30. This paper identifies the barriers and drivers to heat pump adoption at each stage of the customer journey, as well as factors that may influence the realisation of the emissions savings once heat pumps are installed. Candidate strategies for increasing heat pump adoption and realising higher operational efficiency are also identified. The report identified more behavioural barriers than behavioural drivers to adoption. This means that interventions will be required from policymakers, heat pump installers, and manufacturers to make heat pump adoption easier and more appealing to homeowners.