TThe government’s new heating and construction strategy would leave demand for heat pumps six times unmet, according to Octopus Energy’s Center for Net Zero.

According to modeling by the Center for Net Zero (CNZ), around 560,000 households would benefit from the switch to heat pumps if they had access to a government subsidy. Despite this, the device will only be accessible to 90,000 households.

Lucy Yu, Managing Director of CNZ, said: “We welcome the introduction of the £ 5,000 heat pump subsidy and the certainty it offers the industry which will catalyze further investment. – but by capping overall spending at £ 450million, the government is leaving demand unmet.

“If ministers are serious about installing the number of heat pumps in people’s homes that will get us to net zero, they should consider increasing the funding available rather than cutting demand. “

Meanwhile, Sam Nadel, head of government relations at Oxfam, said that while “solid progress” has been made, “let’s not pretend it’s mission accomplished.”

“A key omission is the absence of any commitment to terminate new oil and gas exploration licenses and phase out production. With plans for a new coal mine in Cumbria, the government’s stated priority is to encourage other countries to phase out precarious. “

And Greenpeace described the plan as “more of a choice than the substantial meal we need.”