The Future Now website has launched, carrying advice on heat pumps and other energy technologies and free access to the Homewise tool, described as the Energy Saving Trust's free energy action plan tailored to a home1. The launch follows the close of the Peterborough Accelerated Net Zero (PANZ) project, which Energy Systems Catapult says produced tools and insights on how local authorities can help accelerate heat pump roll-out across the UK1.
PANZ focused on enabling rapid, large-scale heat pump rollout in rural parts of Peterborough and other local authority areas1. Seven villages were identified as reflecting a variety of demographic, housing and heating characteristics, using data including energy performance certificates, fuel poverty and deprivation figures, heating types, housing tenure and property age1. Peterborough's Local Area Energy Plan highlights rural areas as key zones for heat pump deployment1.
The project reported cost as a common barrier, with residents worried about the upfront price of a heat pump, how long it would take to pay off and running costs, especially with electricity more expensive than gas1. Other barriers reported were trust over whether heat pumps keep homes warm, a perceived lack of skilled trusted installers, insulation and planning consent in older and stone-built properties, space for an outdoor unit and hot-water tank, disruption, and noise1. Ten business models were examined; Heat Pump Finance, Community-Owned Renewable Heat and the Retrofit One Stop Shop came out on top, and the Retrofit One Stop Shop showed the strongest potential to accelerate deployment after testing that included a survey of almost 2,000 participants1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Website | Future Now |
| Tool | Homewise, free energy action plan tailored to a home |
| Tool provider | Energy Saving Trust |
| Project closed | Peterborough Accelerated Net Zero (PANZ) |
| Villages studied | Seven |
| Business models examined | Ten |
| Consumer survey | Almost 2,000 participants |
Why it matters for households
The Homewise tool produces an energy action plan tailored to a specific home, a starting point for judging what a property needs before any heating change1. For a household weighing heat pumps, the barriers PANZ recorded are the practical ones: upfront cost, running costs against gas, whether the home stays warm, whether a trusted installer can be found, and whether there is room for an outdoor unit and a cylinder1. The finding that a Retrofit One Stop Shop offers the strongest route to faster deployment points to a single coordinated service covering assessment, planning and installation, rather than separate transactions1. Household energy independence turns on decisions of this kind, and the heat pumps and energy independence guide sets out how home heating choices relate to it.
What happens next
The PANZ project has closed1. Reports on business models, funding mechanisms and engagement methods are available through the project page and the Future Now website1. No date has been reported for further updates to the Future Now site or the Homewise tool.
Sources1 cited
- How to break down the barriers to heat pump adoption, es.catapult.org.uk