Why consumers need more help taking the journey to net zero: Sue Davies of Which?

Such lifestyle changes, once considered alternative, have become more mainstream. Necessarily so. As recent wildfires in Rhodes and Hawaii have reminded us - as if reminders were even needed - man-made climate change is ravaging local communities. The results aren’t just abandoned holidays, but lives lost, family homes destroyed and businesses - so often dependent on tourism for survival - shuttered.

But consumers and businesses behaving more sustainably will not be enough unless they’re given the support they need to make big changes.

That’s down in part to the mismatch between what consumers think will have the most impact (like limiting our use of single plastics, for example) and what the experts say will be the most beneficial (such as changing the way you heat your home, for instance).

However, it’s also because living more sustainably includes more complex - and costly - choices. Take low carbon heating in our homes. Home heating accounts for nearly 20 per cent of the country’s carbon emissions and reducing the use of gas and oil won’t just have a positive impact on the environment, but it will also mean less consumer reliance on increasingly volatile international fossil fuel markets.

But as anybody who’s installed a heat pump will attest, it’s easier said than done. Heat pumps may be the most talked about environmentally friendly appliance right now, but they hardly come cheap. The Climate Change Committee, an independent public body, estimates the average price of energy efficiency upgrades and heat pump installations is just under £10,000. Consider the fact that one quarter of Brits say they have no savings whatsoever, and it is simply not an option for millions of households. The government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently offers grants of up to £5,000 and the aim is to reduce the costs of installing a heat pump by 25-50 per cent in two years’ time. That work will be vital in encouraging greater take up.

For many homes, step one is to reduce the amount of energy required to heat your home by improving insulation, however options available vary considerably depending on the household’s income, their property and whether they are a homeowner or a tenant. While tenants can apply for grants to improve insulation or pay for the improvements themselves, persuading landlords to stump up the money for more involved changes might be an uphill battle. Householders need much better information and advice services to find their way through this maze. The government’s Simple Energy Advice service, which enables consumers to enter some details about their property and receive recommendations, is a start but could be easily expanded by signposting householders to other reputable providers.

The Competition and Markets Authority, which is in charge of regulating competition and consumer protection, is looking into how consumer trust in green heating can be improved. Their recommendation is for the government to review the current certification schemes to see how they can be simplified and improved, and consider introducing mandatory alternative dispute resolution to help householders and installers resolve issues should anything go wrong.

More needs to be done to help consumers make meaningful changes and it will be up to the government to lead from the front.

Sue Davies is Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy