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Opinion
Marcus Ashworth

Heat Pumps Won’t Solve Britain’s Climate Change Crisis

The U.K. needs to transform how it heats its old, poorly insulated housing stock during the long, cold winters. Subsidies will only go so far.

It gets quite cold.

It gets quite cold.

Photographer: Oli Scarff/AFP

Putting heat pumps in every home appears to be the U.K. government’s magic solution for achieving its climate change goals. It’s even offering homeowners a 5,000-pound ($7,000) grant to encourage installation, as part of its plan to switch consumers away from natural gas and drive down emissions.

But subsidies are always a sign to be wary.