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Over a third of UK can’t afford the tech needed to reach net-zero, study shows

More than a third of people in the UK can’t afford renewable energy technology such as solar panels or heat pumps to help the country meet its climate targets, a new study by Nottingham Trent University shows.

    Solar panels on a roof
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    Over a third of UK can’t afford the tech needed to reach net-zero, study shows

    More than a third of people in the UK can’t afford renewable energy technology such as solar panels or heat pumps to help the country meet its climate targets, a new study shows.

    The research, by Nottingham Trent University (NTU), shows that a further 28 per cent say they don’t have enough information to make such a significant financial investment.

    This is against the backdrop of 85 per cent of the respondents believing that human activity is the cause of global warming, and nearly half of them saying electricity bills are a financial burden.

    The overwhelming majority - 86 per cent - said they think that renewable energy is what’s needed to save the environment from a climate catastrophe, implying that they would like to invest in renewable energy if they were able to do so.

    The results – which were taken from a survey of 620 adults of all ages across the UK - show that more public funding is needed to help the UK reach net-zero by 2050, the researchers say.

    Professor Amin Al-Habaibeh, of the Product Innovation Centre, in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment at NTU, said: “These results are significant as they indicate that financial constraints and a lack of information are the main issues preventing people from taking the action that’s required to tackle climate change.

    “To encourage the adoption of renewable energy, the cost must be subsidised to a greater degree, or addressed via affordable means, to enable consumers to engage with the clean technologies that are needed to reduce CO2 levels.

    “Without a financial intervention of some sort, it’s difficult to see how households across the country on moderate means will be able to make the switch to the renewable energy sources which are so vital for the future of the planet.”

    The study was presented at the Applied Energy Conference in Qatar.

    Researcher Dr Benjamin Nweke, who worked on the project as part of his PhD, said: “The findings from this study have shown that consumers in the UK are aware of the impact of their activities have on the environment and that they’re keen to take the necessary steps to achieve net-zero.

    “To improve the acceptance of renewables to consumers in the UK, better education and improved financial schemes must be made available to help subsidise the cost of renewable energy for everyday working people, so that they can afford to make this important change to their living arrangements.”

    • Notes for editors

      Press enquiries please contact Chris Birkle, Public Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 2310, or via email.

      Nottingham Trent University (NTU) received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2021 for cultural heritage science research. It is the second time that NTU has been bestowed the honour of receiving a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its research, the first being in 2015 for leading-edge research on the safety and security of global citizens.

      The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. 86% of NTU’s research impact was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent.

      NTU was awarded The Times and The Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2023 and ranked University of the Year in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023. It was awarded Outstanding Support for Students 2020 (Times Higher Education Awards), University of the Year 2019 (Guardian University Awards, UK Social Mobility Awards), Modern University of the Year 2018 (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide) and University of the Year 2017 (Times Higher Education Awards).

      NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with approximately 40,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of 7,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.

      Since 2000, NTU has invested £570 million in tools, technology, buildings and facilities.

      NTU is in the UK’s top 10 for number of applications and ranked first for accepted offers (2021 UCAS UG acceptance data). It is also among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was the first UK university to sign the Social Mobility Pledge.

      NTU is ranked 2nd most sustainable university in the world in the 2022 UI Green Metric University World Rankings (out of more than 900 participating universities).

    Published on 13 December 2023
    • Category: Press office; Research; School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment