Heating in buildings represents one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise, yet it is critical for achieving Net Zero emissions by mid-century. Heat pumps are widely recognised as a cornerstone technology for low-carbon heating, but their adoption remains uneven across countries. Uptake is frequently slowed not only by economic and technical barriers, but also by persistent narratives around cost, complexity, reliability, and policy uncertainty. Policymakers therefore increasingly recognise the need for constructive narratives that can help households understand, trust, and adopt low-carbon heating technologies.

This research project responds to the Users TCP call for evidence on Constructive Narratives for Home Heat Decarbonisation. Its objective was to provide policymakers with a stronger evidence base on how communication strategies can support the adoption of heat pumps, and how narrative campaigns interact with policy design, market conditions, and public perceptions.

Authored by Dr. Hanne Knight, University of Plymouth, this research set out to examine how narrative communication strategies can support the adoption of heat pumps as a central technology for residential heat decarbonisation. Through a combination of literature review, international case studies, and practitioner interviews, the project provides a comprehensive overview of how communication interacts with policy design, market conditions, and household perceptions.