ALMOST four-fifths of people would swap their gas boiler for a greener heat pump if they were given financial support, a survey published today suggests.

The poll of more than 2,000 people found that eight in 10 homeowners were willing to make changes to reduce their environmental impact.

But the research, carried out by Censuswide for the RSK Group, an environmental services firm, also found that a similar proportion – 79 per cent – would only do so if they received financial help from the government to cover the costs.

Campaigners have warned that reaching net-zero carbon emissions will be impossible without tackling the substantial emissions produced by home heating.

The RSK Group’s Darren Snaith said the results show that sufficient government incentives have a massive role to play in achieving a rapid green transition.

The survey comes after Whitehall’s spending watchdog slammed Tory ministers for systemic failures over the now defunct green homes grant.

In a damning report, the National Audit Office found that government had “significantly reduced the benefits that might have been achieved [and] caused frustration for homeowners and installers” by rushing the implementation of the scheme, which it said “had limited impact on job creation.”