UK households are racing to ditch fossil fuels amid energy price spikes driven by the US and Israel’s war with Iran, with new data showing a sharp surge in demand for solar, heat pumps, and EV chargers.
According to Octopus Energy, March has been its biggest-ever month for enquiries and sales, as rising gas prices hitting 12-month highs push homeowners to look for more predictable energy costs.
Solar sales jumped 54% month-over-month, with more homeowners opting for larger systems – typically 12 panels instead of the usual 10. Heat pump sales climbed 51% month-over-month (March 1-22, 2026), as households move away from gas and oil heating. EV charger sales also rose 20%, as drivers look to avoid volatile fuel prices.
What started as a spike in interest has turned into a full-blown installation boom. Octopus says energy independence is now the top reason people are switching.
East Anglia is leading the charge, topping the UK for both solar and heat pump installations.
To keep up with demand, Octopus has rolled out a fast-track installation program for homes currently using oil boilers. The company says it can now replace them with heat pumps in as little as 10 days from quote to install.
One customer in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, said they received a quote on March 10 and had their Octopus Cosy heat pump fully installed by March 19.
Octopus Energy’s chief product officer, Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, said, “We are seeing a massive shift as people stop just asking and start acting. British families are tired of being held hostage by global fossil fuel prices.
“By switching to solar and heat pumps, they are becoming their own power stations – locking in low costs and protecting their wallets for the long term.“
Online interest is rising, too. Google Trends data shows searches for solar are up 20%, while searches for heat pumps have climbed 30% as more people learn how the technology works.
Octopus has also launched a live dashboard tracking the performance of its heat pumps. It says its Cosy heat pumps are more than 4 times as efficient as gas boilers, and that 80% of customers are already paying less to heat their homes than they did with fossil fuels.
The trend isn’t limited to home energy. EV leasing company Octopus Electric Vehicles, a part of Octopus Energy, says EV enquiries are up 36% since the start of the Middle East conflict, suggesting rising oil prices are pushing more drivers to consider switching to electric.
When fossil fuel prices spike, people look for ways to opt out. And right now, that means going electric.
Read more: EVs wiped out oil demand equal to 70% of Iran’s exports in 2025
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