Daikin UK has teamed up with Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen in a campaign to raise consumer awareness of heat pumps.
A company statement said that the campaign, called Modern Home Must Haves, will run until the end of the year and seeks to position heat pumps as a key component of every low-carbon home.
The campaign is underpinned by research that surveyed 2,000 homeowners and renters about their expectations of a modern home. The research, which explores how expectations have evolved over recent years, revealed that attitudes are changing. People are becoming more conscious of their home’s impact on the environment and are looking for different features in their ideal property, it found.
Environmentally friendly features are now viewed as essentials, it noted. The research stated that 81% believe that features such as a heat pump, an EV charging point and solar panels are now a modern home must have, rather than a nice to have. A further 90% agreed that they are a key consideration for home buyers.
A total of 94% believed that everyone has the responsibility to protect the environment for future generations, with 18-to-29-year-olds, 96%, being the most passionate about this.
As a result, 81% wished their current home was more environmentally friendly. A total of 71% are concerned about the environmental impact, but don’t know how to improve it. The research found that 92% believe that there needs to be more awareness and education about the effect our homes are having and what needs to be done to rectify it.
The study revealed that 91% believe the government should be doing more to stop the use of fossil fuels in UK homes, with Gen Z’s, 97%, the most likely to be looking at the government for action.
The research found that if money were no object the “eco-aware generation” would rather have open-plan living spaces, 50%, solar panels, 44%, triple glazed windows, 43%, top grade insulation, 36%, smart lighting, 36%, EV charging points, 28%, low carbon heat pumps, 18%, a range of house plants and terrariums, 15%, and living plant walls, 14%, than items like a landline phone line, 66%, wood chip wallpaper, 56%, single glazing, 55%, pebble dash, 28%, and wooden sash windows, 26%.
Laurence Llewellyn Bowen said: “This research shows how what we want from our homes is changing. People are not only thinking decoratively but also environmentally when it comes to what they want their home to be like, and what it says to others. Many of the ‘modern home must haves’, like heat pumps, are thoughtfully designed and can be incorporated seamlessly into homes without compromising on style.”
Iain Bevan, residential new business director at Daikin UK, added: “The research clearly shows that that homeowners and renters are becoming more environmentally aware. However, the government needs to work with the industry to educate people about the benefits of heat pumps and to address many of the myths about them. The heat pump industry hasn’t got the resources to do this on its own.
“Daikin is looking forward to having sight of the new government’s Warm Homes Plan. Whilst we appreciate that there are many demands on public finances, the planet is clearly in crisis, and the government needs to carry on supporting the rollout of heat pumps as well as investing in training green-energy installers.”