Scrap the net zero ban on new oil boilers
Scrap the net zero ban on new oil boilers
The Issue
New oil boilers will be banned in off-grid homes within three years, with households encouraged to switch to heat pumps under government proposals to help cut heating emissions. The ban will affect 1.7 million mostly rural households that are not connected to the gas grid and would come in at least a decade before similar restrictions on other homes.
The cost of installing a low carbon heating system such as a heat pump are much higher than a replacement boiler. The associated energy efficiency improvements needed would also be very costly and no grants are available to cover this expense. An average air source heat pump system costs almost £11,000 to install. In addition, the Government estimates that the energy efficiency improvements needed for some oil heated homes to enable a heat pump to work efficiently could cost as much as £12,000 - £19,000,depending on the energy efficiency band (EPC) of the property. Many properties would also need upgrades to their Electricity supply to provide the additional power to run the heat pumps. In rural areas this would also require upgrades to the supply network as well.
If an existing oil boiler fails, many people, especially the poor and old will be unable to afford the conversion costs to a heat pump. They will be unable to heat their house! They would have to sell and move. This cannot be right?
We would welcome the opportunity to run existing boilers on a renewable liquid fuel alternative to heating oil if this can be obtained at a similar price to existing heating oil. This option – called HVO – is being trialled in homes now by the liquid fuel heating industry and cuts carbon emissions by nearly 90%. This solution is not currently eligible for any government support schemes, whereas the fuel is being incentivised for use in planes and road vehicles. An affordable HVO solution would save the high cost and disruption of installing a completely new heating system and dramatically cut emissions. However it is not known and highly unlikely that an HVO solution could be in place by 2026.
The 2026 Oil boiler ban is part of the Energy Bill scheduled for acceptance this Autumn. We demand the government remove the Oil boiler ban from the bill.
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The Issue
New oil boilers will be banned in off-grid homes within three years, with households encouraged to switch to heat pumps under government proposals to help cut heating emissions. The ban will affect 1.7 million mostly rural households that are not connected to the gas grid and would come in at least a decade before similar restrictions on other homes.
The cost of installing a low carbon heating system such as a heat pump are much higher than a replacement boiler. The associated energy efficiency improvements needed would also be very costly and no grants are available to cover this expense. An average air source heat pump system costs almost £11,000 to install. In addition, the Government estimates that the energy efficiency improvements needed for some oil heated homes to enable a heat pump to work efficiently could cost as much as £12,000 - £19,000,depending on the energy efficiency band (EPC) of the property. Many properties would also need upgrades to their Electricity supply to provide the additional power to run the heat pumps. In rural areas this would also require upgrades to the supply network as well.
If an existing oil boiler fails, many people, especially the poor and old will be unable to afford the conversion costs to a heat pump. They will be unable to heat their house! They would have to sell and move. This cannot be right?
We would welcome the opportunity to run existing boilers on a renewable liquid fuel alternative to heating oil if this can be obtained at a similar price to existing heating oil. This option – called HVO – is being trialled in homes now by the liquid fuel heating industry and cuts carbon emissions by nearly 90%. This solution is not currently eligible for any government support schemes, whereas the fuel is being incentivised for use in planes and road vehicles. An affordable HVO solution would save the high cost and disruption of installing a completely new heating system and dramatically cut emissions. However it is not known and highly unlikely that an HVO solution could be in place by 2026.
The 2026 Oil boiler ban is part of the Energy Bill scheduled for acceptance this Autumn. We demand the government remove the Oil boiler ban from the bill.
240
The Decision Makers
Petition created on 9 August 2023