The Committee on Fuel Poverty has published research on how to ensure a successful transition to heat pumps for households at risk of fuel poverty. The report, its technical annex and an infographic were published on GOV.UK on 1 July 20261.
The research was undertaken by Carbon Trust and partners and commissioned on behalf of the committee1. It examined households' experiences of living with heat pumps, the factors that influence heat pump performance and running costs, and the support needed to help households benefit from low-carbon heating1.
The work combined in-depth interviews with households at risk of fuel poverty, technical home audits, analysis of monitored heat pump performance data from over 1,100 UK heat pump installations, cost modelling and a review of existing evidence1. The findings informed recommendations to the Committee on Fuel Poverty on heat pump commissioning, consumer support, performance monitoring and reducing the risk of higher energy bills for low-income households1.
"This research, undertaken by Carbon Trust and partners, was commissioned on behalf of the Committee on Fuel Poverty."
Three documents were published under reference RAF026/2526: the main report, a PDF of 1.36 MB running to 63 pages; a technical annex of 390 KB and 55 pages; and an infographic of 137 KB and 3 pages1. The main report and infographic carry a note that the files may not be suitable for users of assistive technology, with an accessible format available on request by email1.
The publication page does not set out the individual recommendations, the cost modelling results or the monitored performance figures. Those details sit in the report and annex, and have not been reported on the GOV.UK page itself1.
Why it matters for households
Heat pumps are central to the shift away from gas heating, and the running cost of a heat pump relative to a gas boiler is the point where that shift meets a household budget. For homes on low incomes, a heating system that performs poorly or costs more to run than the one it replaced can turn an upgrade into a financial strain rather than a saving. The research looks directly at that risk, and at what support households need to benefit from low-carbon heating1.
For a home's energy independence, the practical questions are fabric, sizing and controls: whether the property is insulated and draught-proofed enough for a heat pump to run efficiently, whether the unit and emitters are matched to the home, and whether the occupant can operate the system to keep bills down. The technical home audits and the analysis of monitored performance data from over 1,100 installations address those factors1. Households with medical needs or reliance on powered equipment face a further consideration, since any change to a heating system has to hold temperatures steady through cold periods.
The committee's remit covers households in fuel poverty in England. The research was commissioned on its behalf rather than by a government department, and the publication does not commit any party to act on the recommendations1.
What happens next
No next steps are set out on the publication page. The page states only that the findings informed recommendations to the Committee on Fuel Poverty on commissioning, consumer support, performance monitoring and reducing the risk of higher energy bills for low-income households1. No response to those recommendations, and no timetable for one, has been reported.