OFTEC is calling for installers to support its campaign for affordable green heating.
The way homes are heated must change for crucial climate change targets to be met.
The UK and Republic of Ireland (RoI) governments have indicated that cutting carbon emissions from oil-heated homes is an important priority. OFTEC fully supports this goal and is working with both governments to develop a solution.
However, OFTEC has become increasingly concerned that the current policy direction means consumers will face unaffordably high costs for green heating systems. This means there is a significant risk that the progress needed to achieve net zero by 2050 will not be made.
According to OFTEC, currently the UK and Republic of Ireland governments are only supporting a narrow range of expensive low carbon heating technologies. Unless this thinking quickly changes, there is a real danger that progress on decarbonisation will not be made – or that rural households will be forced to pay a very high price for it.
The organisation believes government should focus on policies that create a competitive market for low carbon heat to drive down costs. This is the only way to make solutions accessible to most households without imposing unreasonable cost on either the homeowner or the taxpayer.
Introducing carbon reduction targets that all competing technologies must meet could achieve this. It will provide the heating industry with the confidence needed to increase investment in research and development, drive innovation and ultimately provide consumers with better solutions, greater choice and lower prices.
Renewable liquid fuels are one cost-effective solution missing from today’s market. This simple, drop-in replacement for heating oil could virtually remove carbon emissions from 1.5 million UK homes and 686,000 ROI homes with relatively little capital cost or disruption for the homeowner, but is not currently supported by either government.
To find out how you can get involved in the campaign, visit www.oftec.org/future-heating/oftec-campaign-how-you-can-help
Watch the campaign video below…
