The Great British Heat Pump Owner Persona Survey: Let’s Build Our Archetype!

Happy New Year everyone!

As we head into 2026, I thought it would be genuinely interesting (and fun) to find out who the “typical” British heat pump owner really is. Are we all Guardian-reading, organic-eating, EV-driving eco-warriors? Or are we secretly just a bunch of spreadsheet-loving bill-minimisers who jumped on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme bandwagon?

Let’s settle it once and for all with the Great British Heat Pump Persona survey. It’s completely anonymous, no email required and should take a couple of minutes to complete.

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Why a Heat Pump?

What was the main reason you decided to install a heat pump?

• Lower running costs
• Reducing carbon emissions
• Future-proofing against gas price volatility
• Boiler failed / forced decision
• Peer pressure from eco-friends or family
• New build or major renovation
• Grant availability tipped the balance
• Curiosity / early adopter instinct

Be honest, which mattered more to you at the start?

• Monthly bills
• Environmental impact
• Energy independence
• Comfort and consistency
• Long-term property value
• Fed up of burning fossil fuels
• I didn’t really know, I trusted the installer

If electricity prices doubled tomorrow, you would…

• Still back the decision… it’s the future
• Be annoyed, but ride it out
• Immediately look at PV/battery
• Seriously question the switch
• Pretend not to look at the bills

How do you describe your heat pump decision to friends/family?

• “It just makes sense long-term”
• “It’s better for the planet”
• “It’s cheaper than gas for us”
• “The house is way more comfortable”
• “It’s… complicated”
• “I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone”

Which sentence feels closest to your mindset when it comes to heat pumps?

• “We should be leading the transition”
• “Someone has to go first”
• “I like proven tech, not hype”
• “I’ll do the right thing if it stacks up financially”
• “I didn’t sign up for this much learning”

In one word, how does your heat pump make you feel?

• Smug
• Sensible
• Conflicted
• Frustrated
• Proud
• Tired
• Disappointed

When someone asks about your heat pump, you usually feel…

• Keen to explain it
• Happy to recommend it
• Cautious
• Defensive
• Tired of explaining
• Slightly superior (be honest)

PV, Batteries & Energy Behaviour

Do you currently have solar PV?

• Yes
• No, but planning to
• No, and not interested
• Previously had it installed with the heat pump

If you don’t have PV, what’s the main reason?

• Cost
• Roof / planning constraints
• Payback uncertainty
• Roof faces the wrong way or excessive shading
• Aesthetic concerns
• Haven’t got round to it

How often do you actively think about when you use electricity?

• Constantly: tariffs, timing, optimisation
• A few times a week
• Occasionally
• Rarely
• Never… life’s too short

Which best describes your attitude to home energy batteries?

• Essential piece of the puzzle
• Nice-to-have but overpriced
• Waiting for prices to fall
• Don’t understand them enough
• Not suitable for my home

Do you know your electricity tariff type off the top of your head?

• Yes, and I’ve switched more than once
• Yes, but only roughly
• I know it’s “cheap at night”
• Not really
• Absolutely not

Are you currently on a time-of-use electricity tariff?

• Yes, specifically for the heat pump
• Yes, but mainly for EV charging
• Yes, whole-house optimisation
• No, but I’ve seriously considered it
• No because I can’t get a smart meter installed
• No, and I’m not interested
• I don’t actually know

If you are on a time-of-use tariff, how do you actually use it?

• We actively shift heating, hot water and appliances
• Heat pump and hot water only
• EV charging only
• We try… but it’s messy in reality
• The system does its thing and I don’t micromanage
• I’m on one, but I don’t really change behaviour

Time-of-use tariffs feel like…

• A smart way to beat the system
• A necessary evil
• Too complicated for most households
• Great in theory, painful in practice
• Something installers oversell
• Not worth the mental load

Trust, Knowledge & Install Experience: Heat Pump Installation

How confident did you feel before your heat pump installation?

• Very confident… did my research
• Reasonably confident
• Unsure but reassured
• Quite anxious
• Completely in the dark

Who influenced your decision most?

• Installer
• Online forums like Renewable Heating Hub
• Friends / family
• YouTube
• Manufacturer marketing
• Government Grant

Since installation, would you say your understanding of heating has…

• Increased massively
• Improved a bit
• Stayed the same
• Got more confusing
• Turned me into “that person” at dinner parties

How would you rate your install experience overall?

• Excellent
• Good
• Mixed
• Poor
• Disaster
• Still ongoing/unresolved

Compared to your old boiler, your heat pump feels…

• Smarter
• Gentler
• Slower
• More predictable
• Less forgiving
• Just better

If your heat pump had a personality, it would be…

• Dependable
• Temperamental
• Overachieving
• Misunderstood
• High-maintenance
• Quietly brilliant
• Cold

Homeowner Personality

How do you generally approach home improvements?

• Research-heavy, spreadsheet-friendly
• Trusted trades and recommendations
• DIY where possible
• “It’ll do” unless it breaks
• Avoid unless absolutely necessary

When something isn’t working properly, you usually…

• Investigate it yourself
• Ask online
• Call the installer
• Ignore it for a bit, until you can’t ignore it any longer
• Panic quietly

When a professional gives advice that doesn’t quite make sense to you, you usually…

• Challenge it and ask questions
• Research it independently
• Go along with it
• Feel uneasy but proceed
• Lose trust entirely

How much mental effort are you willing to invest to make your home run better?

• As much as it takes
• A fair amount
• A little
• Very little
• None… that’s what professionals are for

Your ideal home temperature is…

• Stable and consistent
• Warm, even if it costs more
• Cooler… jumpers exist for a reason
• Depends who’s home
• Whatever the system decides

Home eco-upgrades beyond heat pump?

• Insulation overload (loft, walls, floors)
• Double/triple glazing
• LED lighting everywhere
• Rainwater harvesting or greywater system
• Apps & gadgets for energy tracking
• Appliance upgrades

Environment, Consumption & Ethics

How important is recycling to you personally?

• Non-negotiable
• Important, but not perfect
• I try
• Only when it’s easy
• Not something I prioritise

Food choices in your household are best described as…

• Mostly organic / local
• Ethical where possible
• Standard supermarket
• Price-led
• Don’t overthink it

When buying household items or appliances, you usually…

• Buy the best quality you can afford and expect it to last
• Spend more specifically to avoid replacing it later
• Balance cost and quality
• Buy cheap and replace when it fails
• Buy whatever’s available when you need it

When something breaks, your instinct is to…

• Repair it if at all possible
• Repair it if it’s easy or cheap
• Replace it with something better
• Replace it with something cheaper
• Replace it immediately… no time for fixing

understanding heat isn’t

Favourite eco-guilty pleasure?

• Long hot showers
• Flying for holidays
• Meat-heavy BBQs
• Online shopping deliveries
• Putting on a wood burning stove for ambience
• None, I’m saintly

What's your take on plastic use?

• Plastic-free as much as possible (reusable bags, bottles, etc.)
• Reducing where I can
• Not a big focus
• Convenience wins… single-use is fine sometimes

How often do landfill or waste considerations factor into your purchases?

• Almost always
• Often
• Occasionally
• Rarely
• Never

How often do you consider environmental impact outside of heating?

• Daily
• Often
• Occasionally
• Rarely
• Almost never

Do you own or plan to own an EV?

• Already own one
• Ordered / planning to
• Considering it
• Probably not
• Definitely not

Risk Appetite & Tech Adoption

Which best describes you?

• Early adopter
• Cautious adopter
• Late adopter
• Skeptical until forced
• Proud technophobe

When new tech doesn’t perform as promised, you feel…

• Annoyed but pragmatic
• Vindicated in your scepticism
• Angry at the industry
• Determined to optimise it
• Like you were sold a dream

Demographics

Age range

• Under 30
• 30–39
• 40–49
• 50–59
• 60–69
• 70+

Property type

• Detached
• Semi-detached
• Terraced
• Flat
• Rural / off-gas property

Household type

• Single occupant
• Couple
• Family with children
• Multi-generational

Anything else you’d like to tell us about your heat pump journey?

This could be a win, a frustration, something you weren’t expecting or advice you’d give to someone considering one. Say as much or as little as you like. All submissions are anonymous, so feel free to express yourself freely,

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