Transitioning UK homes from coal to natural gas: lessons for the current transition to clean heating

Project Director: Aimee Ambrose
Project Duration: 2026

This piece of work contributes to the British Academy’s Policy Histories series through an essay tracing the evolution of home heating in the United Kingdom (UK) from the end of the Second World War (1945) to the present day - a period of unprecedented change marked by the transition from coal to natural gas as the dominant heating fuel. It examines the political, social, and environmental drivers behind these changes, as well as their implications for everyday domestic life. The brief concludes by assessing the extent to which lessons from past energy transitions can inform current policy efforts to promote cleaner forms of home heating, such as heat pumps.