More than a third of those in the UK can’t afford tech needed to reach net-zero, study shows

More than a third of people in the U.K. 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% say they don’t have enough information to make such a significant financial investment.

This is against the backdrop of 85% 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%—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 U.K.—show that more public funding is needed to help the U.K. reach net-zero by 2050, the researchers say.

Professor Amin Al-Habaibeh, of the Product Innovation Center, 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 action that’s required to tackle climate change.

“To encourage the adoption of renewable energy, the cost must be subsidized 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 Ph.D., said, “The findings from this study have shown that consumers in the U.K. 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 U.K., better education and improved financial schemes must be made available to help subsidize the cost of renewable energy for everyday working people, so that they can afford to make this important change to their living arrangements.”