PHAM JUNE21:Layout 1 01/06/2021 15:46 Page 1
JUNE 2021 | VOLUME 59 | ISSUE 5
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Debate over the future of domestic heating hots up Recent proposals from the International Energy Agency that fossil fuel boilers should be banned from has sparked a debate in the national media about the viability of switching to greener heating technologies. Last month’s report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), calling for a global ban on fossil fuel boilers in just four years time, was picked up by a number of national newspapers and other media outlets, raising concerns from consumers about the potential cost of dramatic changes to how they heat their homes. The IEA claims that a block on the sale of fossil fuel appliances is the only way to ensure that zero carbon commitments can be met within years, but such a move has been met with widespread criticism from both consumer groups and industry stakeholders. Media personality and Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins OBE was among the first to hit out at the proposal, claiming that the target is impossible to achieve because of the lack of suitable alternative technologies, infrastructure, skills and short timescales. “These boffins are living in a dream world if they think there is an element of common sense in get me wrong, I’m all for saving the planet, but what they are proposing is simply not achievable.
and blind to climate change issues. Huge amounts of R&D resource are being poured into the development of hydrogen boilers that can deliver the government’s Net Zero targets without crude market manipulation and the denial of consumer choice.”
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Need for clarity
“Telling people this needs to happen immediately makes it less likely, not more, to happen. Tell someone to do something impossible, they won’t try. What we need are achievable targets, then we might have half a chance. If the IEA want to be taken seriously, it needs to come up with some sensible solutions and timeframes.”
Soviet planning
A rapid rise in the installation of heat pumps is widely viewed as a key part of any plans to lower the country’s carbon emissions, but the government has been warned that there is a danger of ignoring consumer demand and that its proposals amount to Soviet-style production planning. It is claimed that plans currently being drawn up by BEIS could impose a legal obligation on boiler manufacturers to make alternative products, such as heat pumps, and that penalties could be introduced if manufacturers fail to hit certain targets. Mike Foster, chief executive of the Energy and Utilities Alliance, says the proposals are targeting supply rather than demand. “I’ve already
heard this proposal described as Soviet-style production planning that prioritises the supply of a product rather than the generation of demand. If this goes ahead, we are potentially going to get the heat pump equivalent of unwanted Lada cars that consumers don’t want and won’t buy. This is a crude attempt to manipulate the market for domestic heat and it won’t work. “BEIS is trying to drive consumers towards heat pumps by taking away the alternatives, but it is important that consumers are given a choice about the technologies in their homes.” The EUA points out that the UK’s boiler manufacturing sector has been a major success story in recent years, employing thousands of workers in places like Hull, Preston, Derbyshire and Worcester, and that the proposals are likely to come as a serious blow to the sector. “The UK’s boiler industry is a manufacturing success story that developed the combi boiler which has already done so much to improve domestic fuel efficiency and reduce household carbon emissions,” adds Foster. “It would be wrong to categorise the industry as deaf
As a manufacturer of both boilers and heat pumps, Vaillant has called for further clarity from the government about its plans to decarbonise heating in the UK. “Heat pumps are a good alternative when homes are off the gas grid or for many retrofit properties that have a suitable level of insulation. However, some existing UK homes need insulation upgrades before the installation of a heat pump is an effective measure,” says Mark Wilkins, technologies and training director at Vaillant. “With the cost of a heat pump installation significantly more expensive than a boiler installation, and with a lack of incentives currently available, many homeowners will opt for a less costly approach. Currently, many are unaware of the changes required to their heating systems, including how a heat pump works. “We urge the government to act quickly and provide the much needed clarity so that we can move forward in the decarbonisation journey. Whilst we are waiting for strategies to be announced, Vaillant is working with government and trade associations to ensure the decarbonisation of heating is carried out in the most effective way, ensuring that whatever is suggested is easy to implement for the installer and the homeowner.”
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