Enhancement of energy efficiency and introduction of newer and more efficient space and water heating technologies in the UK domestic sector are essential if the UK is to achieve its ambitious target for 2050 of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to less than 80% of 1990 levels. The UK domestic sector currently relies heavily on conventional boilers for space and water heating even though electric or gas engine driven vapour compression heat pumps can provide heating and cooling with more than double the efficiency of conventional boilers. UK government has recently introduced laws and policies that are designed to accelerate the uptake of renewable heating technologies by domestic consumers rather than relying solely on market forces. To date despite their excellent performance heat pumps are not the primary choice of the general UK domestic consumer. Factors that may influence this behaviour have been analysed and are discussed here. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.