Charlotte Lee, chief executive of the Heat Pump Association said: 'The message is clear – to meet carbon budgets we must decarbonise heat from buildings, with 14% of the emission reductions expected by 2040 to come from homes. The CCC has set out the importance of electrifying heat, identifying heat pumps as a pivotal technology in this transition with 450,000 heat pump installations needed per year by 2030, reaching 1.5m by 2035. Yet it is clear that Government intervention is required to support and streamline the transition today to create the savings for the future.

'Implementing the Future Homes and Buildings Standard without delay is crucial to avoid compounding the challenge of decarbonising heat from buildings.

'Fundamental to this transition is addressing the disparity between electricity and gas prices. As emphasised in CB7, this step is vital to accelerating electrification in key sectors like heating and surface transport, which are crucial for achieving significant carbon emission reductions over the next decade.

'We welcome the focus on the impact on consumers analysed within CB7, as their behaviour and choices are essential to achieving the emission reductions required. We must make this transition a just transition, and bring consumers along in a positive, responsible and fair way. This will require strong leadership, and some challenging decision making from the Government over the next few years, but what CB7 shows- is that achieving net zero is possible.'

Yselka Farmer, chief executive of BEAMA, said: 'These recommendations clearly demonstrate the financial benefits of implementing low carbon technologies to deliver the UK's net zero goals. However, we can only ensure household savings if we adequately support the investment needed in the electrical products supply chain, which will be essential for the Seventh Carbon Budget.

'BEAMA's Market Pulse report shows capacity utilised in the UK supply chain is currently 91%. The unprecedented surge in electricity demand, predicted to grow 70% by 2035, represents a tenfold increase in demand for some sectors. We will not be able to meet these requirements without a clear Industrial Strategy which prioritises infrastructure components needed to accelerate electrification. Government must act now so that manufacturers and supply chain operators can forecast their product pipelines accordingly. Only then will we unlock the levels of confident investment needed to build our capacity and be ready for the energy transition's unprecedented economic opportunity.'

Fiona Hodgson, chief executive of the Plumbing and Heating Federation, said: 'Heat pump adoption cannot be driven by wishful thinking. The CCC and successive Westminster and devolved governments keep setting ambitious targets while ignoring the fundamental issue: there simply are not enough trained professionals to install them. 

'Without serious investment in skills training and workforce expansion, the UK will fail to meet its heat pump targets. All governments need to stop offloading responsibility onto businesses and take action to ensure we have the people to deliver this transition.'

She added: 'We are in a perverse situation where government policy tells people to transition to electric heating, yet energy pricing actively discourages them from doing so. The public will not be persuaded to switch to a more expensive heating system in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Without serious reform to energy pricing, the transition to low-carbon heating will remain a pipe dream.'

Meanwhile a Future Energy Networks (FEN) spokesperson said: 'We share the CCC’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis, but the findings of this report dramatically understate the potential of our gas networks to play a major role in reaching Net Zero.

'Outside of the welcome proposal for a hydrogen transmission network, the committee’s narrow focus on electrification, with a very limited role for renewable gases such as hydrogen and biomethane, risks pursuing a less deliverable pathway to Net Zero.

'Over half a million businesses rely on the gas distribution network, many of which we know will find it hard to electrify. There must be another option for these businesses to avoid offshoring our industrial emissions, jobs and economic activity.

'Through transporting even more green gas, further reducing network emissions and providing flexibility for wider energy system change, our world class gas networks have the potential to play a critical role in helping the UK lead the way on climate action.'

Stuart Gizzi, chief executive at Intatec said: 'The Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) latest report highlights a concerning reality: the UK is lagging in its transition to sustainable home heating. Without urgent government intervention, the nation's targets risk becoming unattainable. The report identifies several obstacles to scaling up heat pump installations, with policy uncertainty being paramount. It is imperative that the government commits to a clear and consistent strategy.'

Thomas Farquhar, chief operating officer of Heatio, said: 'The Climate Committee’s latest ‘carbon budget’ has highlighted the huge gap between the UK's home decarbonisation and the rest of Europe. We are being left behind by European countries who are improving energy security for consumers whilst decarbonising, whilst the UK remains dangerously reliant on fossil fuel imports. This was highlighted yesterday when yet another increase in the energy price cap was announced, with consumers being hit again by further energy cost increases right in the middle of a cost of living crisis. We have had decades of misinformation across low carbon technologies like Heat Pumps and E.V's. and whilst countries like Norway have already switched 66% of their homes to a Heat Pump, we are still fitting 1.7m of our homes every year with a boiler. Our Energy Security has never been worse and energy prices for consumers keep on rising. We have to stop treating NetZero like a political football, that can be kicked down the road for someone else to deal with. It's not just about protecting the planet, it's now about more homes than ever being in fuel poverty, people unable to afford their own heating and energy prices only going one way.'