Behaviour experts say misinformation shared in media and by other stakeholders is impeding uptake

Experts from a “nudge unit” have been hired to help ministers fight misinformation about heat pumps to try to encourage take-up of the devices.

The appliances run on electricity instead of gas and are regarded as a way of decarbonising homes at scale. A target of installing 600,000 a year by 2028 is part of a drive to achieve Britain’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050.

However, misinformation shared in the media and by “other stakeholders” is impeding uptake, according to a £100,000 government contract awarded to the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), which specialises in ideas to “nudge” the public into taking different actions.

The contract awarded to BIT contains details of a previously unpublished research by the Department for Energy.

It found that individuals who self-reported that they knew a fair amount or a lot about heat pumps were less likely to want one. However, people who correctly answered a simple knowledge question about heat pumps were more likely to want one.

BIT is finalising a large survey of householders’ views and coverage in the media that will be used in planning how the government will push back against misinformation.

“Information about heat pumps is being shared by the media and stakeholders, which may be skewed to negative, incorrect or exaggerated stories of heat pump adoption,” says the contract, which cites examples including claims that the pumps are noisy, cost too much to install and are not reliable and don’t work in older homes.

Articles about heat pumps in the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph were cited in the document, which states that some of these stories “are generally well-founded, such as believing that heat pumps are expensive” but adds that some include incorrect misconceptions, such as believing they might not work well in the cold.

“Online information which is imbalanced or skewed towards incorrect and exaggerated claims could be considered an environment where misinformation is a problem,” it reads.

  • threelonmusketeersEnglish
    41·
    5 days ago

    I never cease to be amused at how the English continue to be surprised that “summer happens” every year.

    • FelixCress@lemmy.world
      4·
      5 days ago

      Oh, I don’t question summer happening. It usually starts Wednesday around 11am and is over by Sunday evening.

          • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
            31·
            5 days ago

            Read the wiki article I linked. There were three heat waves in 2022. June for 2 days, July for two days and August for 6 days. It was enough to kill approximately 3000 elderly.

            That doesn’t include the days in the high 80’s which can be uncomfortable enough to warrant ac.

            • FelixCress@lemmy.world
              34·
              5 days ago

              That’s terrible, the entire 10 days heat in three years, 3.3 day per year!

              We are almost Africa now. 🙄

              Irrespectively what USians may think there is absolutely no need for air conditioning in UK housing. Yes, really. No, 25 - 28 degrees is a pleasantly warm weather, not a “heat” needing air condition. No, the rest of the world is not sharing your moronic habit of sticking air con in every building. No, there is really no need for it.

              Oh, and BTW if the temperature was in 80’ it would be just 20 degrees from water boiling point - in a normal scale reasonable human beings use. That doesn’t apply to you by the way.