Heat pumps and electric vehicles (EVs) could become central to everyday life within a decade, according to research conducted by UK Power Networks.
The electricity firm has predicted that by 2030 there could be over 700,000 electric heat pumps and 4.5 million EVs.
Heat pumps and EVs are central to the UK achieving its net-zero emissions target by 2050 and are an essential part of mitigating the climate crisis.
A heat pump, in simple terms, is a device that transfers heat from a source (such as the heat of the soil in the garden) to another location (like the hot water system of a house).
To do this, heat pumps, as opposed to boilers, use a small amount of electricity but they often achieve a 200-600% efficiency rate.
As prices of EVs continue to fall, and with the government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles looming closer, this could further accelerate the sales of EV’s, which are already at an all-time high.
Sul Alli, director of customer services, strategy and regulation at UK Power Networks, said: ‘The Government’s 10 Point Plan has signalled an acceleration of the UK’s transition to a net-zero carbon economy. We are determined to be at the forefront in our industry and make sure no customers in the areas we serve, are left behind.
‘That’s why we’ve worked hand in hand with local authorities and partners to deliver this project. By understanding how the future might look, we can innovate, plan, prepare and invest strategically to make our network ready for net zero.’
Paul Connell, founder and head of Innovation at ODI Leeds, added: ‘This is a fabulous demonstration of the power of working in the open. We have used the open data UK Power Networks has published to build a visualisation that arguably creates ten times more impact than a report.
‘It has been a real pleasure to work with the UK Power Networks team and we are looking forward to doing more innovation with them this year.’
For more information and to view the forecast data and map, click here.