RENEWABLES


Oil households risk being stuck in Net Zero limbo


Malcolm Farrow, head of public aff airs at OFTEC has expressed concern that off -grid decarbonisation risks slipping off the radar and has called on the government not to lose focus on the progress already made


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or years oil heating users faced continued uncertainty. This all stemmed from the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy


which proposed phasing out the installation of new oil boilers in homes from 2026, and large and small non domestic premises from 2024 and 2026 respectively. The ambition was for these properties to switch to a heat pump when they replaced their oil heating system. However, after being published, for two years


there was no further response. Alongside oil households, manufacturers, technicians the fuel distribution industry were left in limbo. In September, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak


provided some much needed clarifi cation. He confi rmed that the 2026 deadline would be pushed back to 2035 and it is understood the same applies to the 2024 deadline. An amendment to the government’s Energy Bill also committed to publish a consultation on renewable liquid fuels once the bill received royal ascent. We welcomed both of these developments which


recognised the importance of fairness in delivering Net Zero. However, in recent weeks it feels like we’ve slipped back into another period of uncertainty. Waiting for the 2035 deadline to approach, details of the renewable liquid fuel consultation and the next general election to see which party will be driving forward Net Zero policy. It’s also counterproductive. If oil households want to cut their emissions today, then why would we hold them back? If there are low carbon solutions available today and, importantly, homeowners want


Left: Malcom Farrow, head of public affairs, OFTEC


www.heatingandventilating.net


An oil heated household stuck in limbo


Julia Kirby-Smith lives in Blean, a village in the Canterbury district of Kent, with her husband and two children. Their traditional farmhouse is off the gas grid and relies on oil heating. Like many older rural properties, the building has low energy effi ciency. The oldest part of the home dates back to 1730 with single glazed windows and basic loft insultation. Keen to play her part, Julia researched whether


she could install an air source or ground source heat pump to cut her carbon emissions. She was told that the recommended ‘fabric fi rst’ approach (improving insulation and windows fi rst) could make a heat pump suitable for certain parts of the house, but it would still be diffi cult to implement in some rooms. She also found the cost to make the necessary building upgrades before installing a heat pump was tens of thousands of pounds, and the invasive work needed could impact the historic nature of the building. The property will therefore remain on oil


heating. The existing oil boiler was installed in 2020 and has a new bunded oil tank. This means, under the government’s current proposals, Julia could continue to use oil for the full lifecycle of her heating system which could be around 20 years. This would be well into the 2040s. But Julia is concerned about climate change


to adopt them, there’s a real opportunity to make a head start. For some that means installing a heat pump if


it’s practical and aff ordable for their situation. But what about properties where heat pumps aren’t suited? Why deny them the opportunity to switch to a renewable liquid fuel, if they want to do so, and cut their emissions by nearly 90%? That’s why we’re urging the government to urgently bring forward its renewable liquid fuel consultation. Many oil heated households are eager and willing to play their part in tackling climate change.


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and wants to reduce her carbon emissions today. However, without a viable solution in heat pumps, her and her family are stuck in limbo. Her situation is typical of many other oil homes and is the perfect demonstration of why renewable liquid fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) are so important. “I don’t like the idea of waiting around and doing nothing”, says Julie. “We need to do everything we can, so if we can take steps to cut our emissions now we should do. HVO is currently more expensive than kerosene so it’s not a simple decision, but I’d like to switch. Whether I use HVO as a short term solution - until I can aff ord to install a heat pump that will be suitable for my house - or continue to use it indefi nitely, I’d like the choice.


“It would be good to see the government actively


encouraging older rural properties to move to HVO right now, supporting it with the subsidies enjoyed by the haulage industry. I think this will be very popular in rural communities.”


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