Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of replacing electric central heating with heat pumps on levels of (a) fuel poverty and (b) carbon emissions.

The Government considers the impact of policies on fuel poor households, including those households that replace their electric heating with heat pumps.

Heat pumps are around three times more efficient than direct electric heating, implying a two-thirds reduction in electricity consumption. The impact on carbon emissions will depend on the carbon intensity of the grid. Under current assumptions the Government estimates 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent reduction over the lifetime of the heat pump for a typical home that was heated by direct electric heating.