Firstly, the facts. UK domestic electricity was the 4^th highest, with prices 46 per cent higher than the average across the study group. UK domestic gas prices were in the bottom third, being 18 per cent lower than the average capital city.

“There it is,” cry some, the reason heat pumps aren’t selling, because electricity is too expensive and gas too cheap. Now the basic laws of economics will agree, the cheaper a product becomes the more demand for that product increases, so there may be something in this. So, what do we do?

For some time, lobbyists have argued for levies and policy costs to come off electricity. Some argue that they should be transferred onto taxation, others suggest directly onto gas.

These levies account for 16 per cent of the cost of electricity in the UK, so taking them off still makes us 22 per cent more expensive than the European average. Clearly the UK is doing something different to most of Europe.

Transferring these costs onto taxation is a more progressive option, no argument there, and therefore desirable as a social policy lever. But the UK’s delicate fiscal position makes this a tough argument to make, compared to spending on the NHS or defence or tackling immigration.

Switching the costs directly onto gas is fraught with difficulties, some real some political. Assuming the policy is enacted to make the “average household” no worse off, then it seems a good idea. Except for two considerations, firstly the vast majority of UK households would see their gas bills increase by 15 per cent, but who knows what the distributional impact might be – low income but heavy gas users will be worse off, which is not progressive (or popular). And the headline of that gas price increase may pose political challenges which in the current climate are best avoided.

Another challenge identified, not as easy to fix as some would imagine though.