Over the past two years, there’s been a subtle but worrying shift in UK homeowners’ attitudes toward climate change. Compared to two years ago, more people now say:
“It’s not worth doing things if others don’t.”
“There’s so much conflicting information, I don’t know what to believe.”
“The media exaggerates the impacts of climate change”
These aren’t wild conspiracy theories – they’re signals of erosion. Trust is slipping. Homeowners’ sense of personal agency is weakening.
Figure 1 Electrify Research - Homeowner Electrification Tracker Study (HETS) 2023-2025. UK homeowners only
At Electrify Research, inspired by the government’s Public Attitudes Survey questions, we’ve been tracking these shifts through our Homeowner Electrification Tracker Study (HETS). Built on over 32,000 interviews (so far), HETS monitors adoption, attitudes and decision-making around heat pumps, EVs, solar and batteries. We focus only on homeowners – the group with the power to act fastest and most meaningfully. The insights in this piece come from our UK sample. The scale of the shifts measured by HETS – typically 5 to 7 percentage points over two years – is in line with changes seen in the UK government’s Public Attitudes Tracker, indicating meaningful but not dramatic movement.
These numbers are small shifts, but they matter. Because they show the slow advance of a story being pushed hard at the political and media margins – one that says “this is all too hard, too uncertain, too much to ask”. Or that we’re becoming despondent. That the momentum is swinging against the sustainability lobby and the naysayers are right. And in some places, that narrative is landing.
But here’s what’s more important: most people still believe. While scepticism edges up at the margins, the mainstream remains remarkably solid. The statements that are most agreed with are very positive:
“If everyone does their bit, we can reduce the effects of climate change.”
“I have the ability to make changes”
Followed in fourth place by “I'd like to do more but don't know where to start”
And the third place statement, “There’s so much conflicting information, I don’t know what to believe.” Is a sentiment begging to be righted.
Figure 2 Electrify Research - Homeowner Electrification Tracker Study Wave 8 only April 2025. UK homeowners only
We don’t need to chase the fringe. We need to focus on the persuadable. The doers. The believers. The ones who are quietly ready for the next step. That’s the story we should be telling – and the momentum we need to make visible. Don’t get distracted. Don’t lose heart. The centre is strong. Let’s build from it.
HETS is the world's largest, most up-to-date insight tracker tool covering homeowner adoption, attitudes and 'path to purchase' across: heat pumps, EVs, solar, batteries, finance and energy providers. Built from 32,000 interviews with homeowners plus an additional 4,000 every quarter in the UK, France, Germany and the US, HETS turns complex consumer behaviour into clear, actionable insights, helping organisations leading the home electrification transition improve their products, pricing, marketing, communications and policy.