The Government’s approach to decarbonising residential heating
lacks clear direction and current policies are not of the scale
necessary to help meet the UK’s 2050 net zero target, says the
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Committee in a report published today (Thursday).
The report urges the Government to bring forward a heat
decarbonisation sector deal to help develop low carbon heating
technologies, scale up the heat pump market to meet the
Government’s target of 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028, and
provide support to gas boiler engineers who will be needed to
re-skill to undertake this work.
The report states the Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy
did not set out how Government’s heat decarbonisation targets
will be met and what contingencies are in place if the target is
missed.
The report calls on the Government to come forward with a public
awareness campaign to explain to the public how their heating
systems in their homes will change and the potential costs and
benefits of this transition.
, Chair of the Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy
Committee, said: “Replacing
gas boilers is a huge task and we are not making anywhere near
enough progress. As it stands, we will miss our net zero target.
The Government must act urgently to help speed up delivery and
support bill payers and workers who will be affected by the
change.
“Bill payers today are deeply worried about their energy costs,
with many people struggling to afford to heat their homes. Most
people don’t realise that their gas boiler will need to be
replaced within the next 10 to 15 years. The Government and
energy companies should explain to bill payers why switching away
from gas and insulating our homes is not only important in
tackling climate change, but also a route to reducing energy
bills. The Government also needs to spell out what financial help
will be put in place for those who need it most.
“As the Government decides on financial help for customers with
the cost of their energy bills, they must also come forward with
a replacement for the Green Homes Grant. Action is needed to
improve insulation and energy efficiency in our homes and to step
up the pace in delivering low carbon heating systems, at a lower
cost to households than today. Ministers can’t simply leave this
to the market – Government should tackle the cost of heating our
homes in the round and bring forward joined-up policies that
address these issues together.
“Decarbonising heat in our homes will require engineers who know
how to install low carbon heating systems in every community
across the country. The Government should work with industry and
trade unions to support a low carbon heating apprenticeship
programme and ensure existing workers get access to re-skilling
courses that will support their transition to the new green jobs
of the future.”
The report welcomes the new Boiler Upgrade Scheme announced in
the Heat and Buildings Strategy and makes a series of
recommendations to ensure the success of the scheme, including
focussing public funds on lower income households and partnering
with industry and trade unions to create jobs and training
pathways.
The report also makes a number of recommendations relating to
heat networks, the Future Homes Standard, targeted financial
support for the fuel poor and vulnerable customers, and on
consumer protection.
The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee is
also currently undertaking an inquiryon Energy
pricing and the future of the Energy Market. The Committee’s
inquiry will be examining the extent to which the policy and
regulatory environment has contributed to the current issues
affecting the energy market, the impact on consumers of rising
energy prices, and the operation of the energy price cap.
