For people across North and West Cumbria the environment is a major issue at the upcoming election.

Political parties have been setting out their stall on their plans for gas boilers and heat pumps.

In its manifesto, Labour said "nobody will be forced to rip out their (gas) boiler" after the Tories watered down their ban on gas central heating – aiming only for an 80 per cent phase-out by 2035 instead.

Shadow energy secretary Ed Miliband told the Telegraph his party must "show heat pumps are affordable and are going to work for people" if they are to migrate from gas boilers.

Take-up on heat pumps remains slow across the UK, with fewer than 40,000 households installing one last year, although this is on course for close to 50,000 this year.

The Conservatives aimed for 600,000 heat pumps to be installed annually by 2028.

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Set-up costs are between £10,000 and £12,000, compared to just £2,000 or £3,000 for a new gas boiler.

In the Cumberland Council area just 848 households had a heat pump installed as of June.

Further census figures show 74 per cent of households across England and Wales had gas central heating – this fell to 72 per cent in the Cumberland Council area

Meanwhile, just 1 per cent of households in the area used any form of renewable energy.