COMMENT
It’s a gas, gas, gas I
Fiona Russell-Horne Editor-in-Chief - BMJ
n January we had a power cut at home that didn’t get sorted out for 36 hours. The electricity went off at 3pm on Friday and didn’t come back on until the early hours of Sunday morning. It was proper brass monkey time. So, I was mighty pleased that not only do we have an open fire in the sitting room, but we also have a gas hob that can be lit with a match if need be.
The electrics that cause the gas boiler to actually function may not have worked, but at least I could fry the sausages for the children’s supper and boil a saucepan for a cuppa, even if it did have to be by candle-light.
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So, I was slightly in two minds when I read the report from the Committee on Climate Change which argues that gas boilers and cookers should be banned in new homes within six years to meet Britain’s legally binding emissions targets. The committee believes all housing developers should be banned from connecting new homes to the gas grid. Instead, they should heat them with low-carbon systems such as air source heat pumps and be forced to install induction hobs and electric ovens, instead of gas appliances. However, developers are likely to be similarly disconcerted about the proposals, with the Home Builders Federation stating that this would make houses harder to sell because consumers are used to the idea of gas boilers, understand (more or less) how they operate in principle and are, therefore comfortable with them.
Heat pumps, whether ground source or air source, come with benefits and drawbacks, much like any other. Installed properly, in a suitable situation, they provide low carbon heating, delivering heat at lower temperatures than conventional oil and gas boilers, costing the householder less and saving the planet. If you have a wind pump or solar energy, you can even fix your air source heat pump so that it can run without
electricity should it be required. However, they do need an external power source to work in the first place and this is usually electricity. They are also noisy to run, less efficient in winter due to the colder ambient temperature and they work best when a property is highly insulated. Ground source heat pumps also tend to need a lot of space. Not every new home is going to be built with a handy paddock to one side. Plus, just like boilers, heat pumps need installing properly, and by someone who knows what they are doing. This is an industry that is already struggling to cope with a shortage of skilled labour, something that might get worse in the short-term, post-Brexit. The Committee for Climate Change’s report is concerned only with new housing; 80% of the buildings we will use in 2050 have already been built. That means it’s arguably more important to address the state of the existing housing stock in the UK, which is one of the draughtiest in Europe. This year will see a review of the Building Regulations and publication of a Government action plan for home energy efficiency. Both of these are equally as important in tackling carbon emissions from housing as getting developers to ditch their gas connections.
I get that we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and that changing the way we heat our homes is a big part of that. There’s also the point that much of our gas supply comes from Russia and the UK being less vulnerable to the capricious whims of President Putin is probably a good idea.
However, had I had an induction hob, rather than my trusty gas one, we’d have been eating sandwiches for two days or decamping to the pub to eat. Sounds great until you realise that you’ve just spent all the money your low-carbon, more energy efficient systems have saved you. And if you really want to grab householders’ hearts and minds, you need to start with their wallets.
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March 2019
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