Decarbonising owner-occupied homes for vulnerable groups

This report presents findings from qualitative research exploring the behavioural barriers to installing home decarbonisation measures among vulnerable groups of owner-occupiers. It covers: the extent to which the barriers impact these owner-occupiers how they might be overcome DESNZ commissioned Verian to undertake this research, which involved focus groups and in-depth interviews with: fuel poor owner-occupiers older owner-occupiers owner-occupiers with long-term health conditions other owner-occupiers Decarbonising owner-occupied homes: Research among vulnerable groups Ref: RAF063/2122 PDF , 309 KB , 26 pages Decarbonising owner-occupied homes: Research among vulnerable groups: technical annex Ref: RAF063/2122 PDF , 645 KB , 72 pages Verian (2024) RAF063/2122 Decarbonising owner- occupied homes: Research among vulnerable groups Qualitative research report Conducted by Verian for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero prior to the general election in the United Kingdom in July 2024. As such, any references to government policies, commitments, or initiatives may reflect the stance of the previous administration and were accurate at the time of fieldwork and writing. Views expressed in this report are from the relevant research agencies, based on data collected from research participants and other evidence, and not necessarily those of the UK government. © Crown copyright 2024 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. Where we have identified any third-party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. 3 Contents Executive summary __________________________________________________________ 4 Purpose of the report and research objectives ___________________________________ 4 Overview of method ________________________________________________________ 4 Findings _________________________________________________________________ 4 Implications for interventions _________________________________________________ 5 Introduction ________________________________________________________________ 7 Policy context _____________________________________________________________ 7 Research background ______________________________________________________ 7 Research aims and questions ________________________________________________ 8 Methods __________________________________________________________________ 10 Research limitations _______________________________________________________ 11 Findings __________________________________________________________________ 12 Installation context ________________________________________________________ 12 The ISM model _________________________________________________________ 12 ISM components in the decision to install measures ____________________________ 12 Barriers and enablers that apply to all participants ______________________________ 13 Responses to different home decarbonisation measures ________________________ 15 Variations by vulnerable sub-groups __________________________________________ 16 Sub-group differences in when barriers were experienced across the installation journey 16 Sub-group differences in how barriers were experienced across the installation journey 16 Implications for interventions ________________________________________________ 20 Measures that may be easier to adopt _______________________________________ 20 Key considerations when developing interventions _____________________________ 21 The impact of increasing vulnerability _______________________________________ 23 Considerations for future interventions ________________________________________ 24 Decarbonising owner-occupied homes: Research among vulnerable groups 4 Executive summary This section provides an overview of the research background, methods, findings, and implications. Purpose of the report and research objectives This report outlines the findings from qualitative research exploring how the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero can best support vulnerable owner-occupiers in the UK to install home decarbonisation measures. Home decarbonisation measures reduce energy consumption in properties: measures include those that improve the energy efficiency of homes (such as draft-proofing windows and doors, loft insulation, and cavity wall insulation) and those that contribute to reducing the carbon emitted to power domestic systems and appliances (such as heat pumps and solar panels). The research aimed to understand the impact of behavioural barriers on vulnerable owner-occupiers installing these types of measures in their property, and what could be done to overcome any barriers they identified. Overview of method Three vulnerable owner-occupi

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