What will our houses be like in a Net Zero world? The answer is that it will not look that different to how it looks today! The only differences will be down to using renewable energy for electricity, swapping a heat pump for natural gas and creating an efficient heating-cooling system. Putting these changes in place will cut 3.7 tonnes of carbon emissions per person. This is why working towards adapting our housing with these inventions is an essential part of the journey to Net Zero. Below are the adaptations we will have to make by 2050.

Solar panels and Battery storage: Solar panels and battery storage means you can power your house with renewable energy and even make money from battery storage systems.

An electric vehicle (EV) charger: A built-in EV charger at home means you can charge your electric car at home. If you have solar panels in your house, it will cost nothing to charge your car.

Insulation, double-glazed window and draught proofing: these measures will prevent your home from losing heat, making your house more energy efficient and needing less energy to heat your house.

Heat pumps: heat pumps are controversial because they cost thousands of pounds to install, and it is potentially a lot of effort putting it in. The UK government advisory body, the Climate Change Committee, suggests that we do not have to rip out our boilers now and put one in as fast as possible. Instead, they suggest that you only replace your boiler with a heat pump once the life of boiler has come to an end. There is reason to rush into it.

Smart heating controls: smart heating thermostats mean you can adjust temperatures in your house from your phone, and they can interpret what you input, learn from what you do and react to other data such as weather forecasts. Artificial intelligence technology will learn how you occupy your house, predict your behaviour and heat your home differently and more efficiently.