Recommendation 10

Achieving net zero will clearly be challenging. The Department stressed that although many of the technologies the strategy relies on are currently very expensive, it is confident that the cost of these will reduce over time.33 For example, a heat pump is currently more expensive than a gas boiler; however, the Department hopes that by 2035, replacing a gas boiler at the end of its working life with a heat pump will be a money-saving choice for consumers.34 Non-financial issues also play a part in consumer choices: in May 2021 we reported that the appeal and acceptance of electric vehicles were also barriers, in addition to cost and range considerations.35 The Confederation of Passenger Transport, representing manufacturers and operators of buses and coaches, highlighted range, infrastructure and reliability as well as cost concerns for operators when comparing diesel vehicles with those that are ultra-low or zero emission.36 These zero-carbon technologies and replacements place huge reliance on a massive expansion of electricity supply and distribution capacity for which there is no clear national plan or cost estimate. The Department told us that it monitors attitudes to net zero on a quarterly basis, including what it considers the ‘enablers’ of net zero.37