Political party policies on transitioning off-grid homes onto low carbon heating will impact how rural households vote at the general election, results from a new survey reveal.
In a poll of just under 1,000 rural homeowners published by the Future Ready Fuel campaign, 85% of respondents said the government and opposition party policies on decarbonisation will influence how they cast their vote at the ballot box.
The survey also revealed that 94% of households felt they should be responsible for choosing the heating system they install when it needs to be replaced, compared to 2% who thought the government should have the final say.
When asked about renewable liquid fuels, 88% of respondents said they would prefer to switch to the fuel compared to just 6% for a heat pump.
Paul Rose, CEO of OFTEC, and Ken Cronin, CEO of UKIFDA, who are backing the Future Ready Fuel campaign commented: “At the start of the general election, this survey reveals that the policies political parties set out for transitioning rural homes onto low carbon heating will be an important factor in how households vote.
“We are urging all parties to publicly commit to delivering on the commitments Parliament made to the UK’s 4 million people in 1.7 million off-grid households in passing the Energy Act.
“In this election, rural off-grid households now must have the certainty they need to be able to choose how best they can make their contribution to achieving net zero. We stand ready to work with the next government to make that a reality.”
Paul and Ken added: “There is overwhelming public support for renewable liquid fuels and the government and opposition parties have the opportunity to show they are on the side of rural homeowners. Otherwise, they will make their voice heard at the election.”
Main Image: Paul Rose, CEO of OFTEC, and Ken Cronin, CEO of UKIFDA
