In our second instalment of the Net Zero Homes Index, the latest research of over four thousand people explores how UK families are feeling about the journey to Net Zero, their readiness to make changes to their home and lifestyle and how these attitudes have changed over the past year.

Our findings reveal that:

• When it comes to Net Zero, there continues to be widespread awareness but a limited understanding of the 2050 target
• Fears about the cost of living remains of greater concern to the public than climate concerns
• Climate change is still one of the most pressing issues of our time
• British Gas is a trusted partner to help reduce home emissions

UK families want to make changes to their homes to tackle climate change

Encouragingly, nearly three in four (71%) believe that Net Zero is the right thing to do,  but there is a lack of confidence among the public about the UK’s ability to achieve it. On average people believe that the UK will reach Net Zero closer to 2075 than 2050 and over one in five (22%) were so pessimistic that they thought it would never be achieved.

Despite this, climate change is ranked as the fifth most important issue facing the country. This figure varies regionally, with 63% in London saying it is one of the most pressing issues, compared with only 52% in the North East. Younger people are more concerned about the climate, more willing to act and more willing to pay for measures that cut household emissions.

Overall, climate change is considered more important by the public than housing, Brexit, crime, taxation and welfare. But fears over the cost of living remains the dominant priority for the British public, with the quality of the NHS following closely.

Energy price pressures are driving the public to consider making changes to their homes, such as installing energy efficiency products. Among homeowners, almost half (48%) said they were willing to install improved insulation in the next two years and 42% said they’d be willing to install solar panels.