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We’re often told about the shortcomings of home electrification as if to prove the concept will never catch on (many of these shortcomings are actually myths). But the naysayers are wrong, not just directionally (change will be positive), but also in its pace - it will be non-linear, following an 'S curve' growth pattern. Why? Because as homeowners adopt EVs, solar panels, batteries and heat pumps, a chain reaction takes place in their minds. The benefits of using a single energy source that is efficient, standardized, storable, transferable, and self-generatable, become obvious. This is the "network effect" in action: each new technology reinforces the ecosystem, driving further adoption, with change only compounded, especially in an environment where hydrocarbon prices are both high and volatile. How do we know? We have data that shows it:
Our Home Electrification Tracker Study (HETS) is based on interviews with consumers on their usage, attitude and “path to purchase” for heat pumps, rooftop solar, home batteries and EVs. Over the last 21 months we have interviewed 28,000 homeowners in the UK, France, Germany and the US and coded over 350,000 open ended comments using powerful AI tools. The data reveals that there is a natural shift toward "system thinking" as homeowners get more kit. This has the effect of becoming a self-reinforcing cycle that will cause home electrification to accelerate faster than many anticipate.
Network effects in action
Here are just a few examples based on all four of the countries we cover. The comparison and filtering tools in HETS means it’s easy to disaggregate these insights and zero in and compare groups by country, demographic, attitudinal segment and view trends over time. So, some examples:
- Solar PV is the primary “gateway.” Among those who don’t yet own an EV, solar panels or a heat pump, well over half (57%) express an interest in getting rooftop solar, making it the most attractive first step toward electrification for homeowners.
- EVs have the most powerful impact on growing interest in owning the 'next' piece of tech. Among those who only have an EV (no heat pump, no solar) over three-quarters (77%) express an interest in getting solar or solar plus another technology compared to the 57% of those interested in solar when no other tech is owned. That's a 35% uplift in interest in solar, just from owning an EV.
- Heat pump owners also show an uplift in their interest in the next technology but it's weaker than for EVs and PHEVs, with interest in getting either rooftop solar or an EV 3% higher than for those with no electrified tech.
- Two-tech homes drive even faster adoption, for example among those who have rooftop solar and an EV, interest in getting a heat pump shoots up to 55% (from 38% for those with no technologies). That's a 44% uplift
- EV ownership is the most significant driver of heat pump adoption.
Why this matters
The data makes one thing clear: home electrification begets more electrification. Those professionally involved in home electrification industries should no longer think in silos, i.e. with a narrow, product-focused mindset. Consumers don’t. The shift to the electrified home isn’t just a matter of replacing fossil-fuel-based systems with electric alternatives; it’s a self-reinforcing process where each adoption accelerates the next. The key to unlocking widespread adoption is to focus on the consumer journey, not just the individual technologies. Homeowners aren’t simply buying EVs, solar panels, or heat pumps in isolation. They are building interconnected energy ecosystems - often without realising it.
See the acceleration first-hand
HETS provides the insights needed to understand how and why this acceleration happens. By tracking adoption patterns across markets, we can show not just where electrification is happening, but how one decision leads to another. If you’d like to explore these trends in more depth, request a demo to see the HETS dashboard in action.
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