Who upgrades their residential heating system?

ESRI Research Bulletin Articles provide short summaries of work published by ESRI researchers and overviews of thematic areas covered by ESRI programmes of research. Bulletin Articles are designed to be easily accessible to a wide readership. A reference or references to the full publication is included at the start of each Bulletin article.

August 1, 2018
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In the context of moving to a low-carbon economy there is wide interest among policymakers to improve knowledge of decisions surrounding residential heating systems, as burning fossil fuels for heating comprises the greatest share of greenhouse gas emissions from the residential sector. This research examines four aspects of decision-making with respect to heating system upgrades: home-owner decisions on whether to upgrade, decisions on fuel choice, fuel switching patterns, and an examination of the reasons why home-owners make these decisions.