UK public awareness of data centres rises, trust falls

Telehouse has published a UK survey showing that public awareness of data centres has risen, while understanding of them remains low. The study also found growing concern about their energy use and environmental impact.

The poll of 2,000 people found that 52% now recognise the term data centre, up from 40% in 2024. Even so, 59% said they were still unclear about what a data centre is or does.

The findings suggest a shift in how the public views an industry that has become more visible in policy discussions and debate about digital infrastructure. Data centres were classified by the UK government as Critical National Infrastructure after Telehouse conducted its earlier research in 2024.

That higher profile does not appear to have led to stronger confidence. Only 37% of respondents said data centres have a positive impact on the digital services they use at home or at work, down from 48% in 2024.

At the same time, the share of people who said data centres have a negative impact rose to 15% from 4% in the earlier survey. The results point to a widening gap between recognition of the sector and trust in its role.

Energy concerns

Questions over electricity consumption featured strongly in the results. More than half of respondents, or 56%, said they were concerned about the amount of energy data centres consume, up from 45% in 2024.

Environmental impact also ranked highly among public concerns, with 55% of those surveyed saying they viewed the negative environmental impact of data centres as significant.

The figures come as artificial intelligence systems draw more attention to the computing infrastructure behind digital services. As AI tools spread across workplaces and consumer applications, the physical sites that store data and support processing have become part of a broader public discussion about energy demand and sustainability.

Greater visibility has brought closer scrutiny as well as increased awareness. The survey suggests that while more people have heard of data centres, many remain uncertain about their function and wider effect on daily life.

Public understanding

Mark Pestridge, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Telehouse Europe, commented on the findings.

"It is encouraging to see that more people have heard of data centres and have a better understanding of some of the roles they play since we first commissioned this research. The objective now is to help people understand why data centres matter and how they support everyone's lives, from the digital services they use to the business applications and AI tools that are becoming increasingly important in healthcare, retail and society.

"Awareness is an important first step, but these findings show it does not always translate into confidence. People want to understand how their services are supported, how their data is managed, and how the industry is addressing energy use and sustainability. As an industry, we have a role to play in closing that gap by working more closely together, being more transparent, engaging openly with the public and communities, and doing a better job of explaining the value data centres enable."

The results underline a challenge for operators as data centres take on a more prominent place in the economy. These facilities underpin cloud services, business applications and a growing number of AI tools, yet the poll suggests many people still do not connect that infrastructure with the services they use every day.

The survey also points to a reputational issue for the industry as demand for computing capacity increases. Public concern about power consumption and environmental effects may shape how operators, policymakers and local communities discuss future development.

Telehouse said the sector needed clearer communication about what data centres do, how data is handled, and how operators respond to sustainability concerns. In the survey, 59% of respondents said they are unclear about what a data centre is or does.