PHAM NEWS | FEBRUARY 2026 30 DomesticBoilers


Backing for renewable liquid fuels


With the potential to run on renewable liquid fuels, there’s still a place for boilers in rural households, argues OFTEC’s Malcolm Farrow, as support grows for a multi-technology approach to meeting government carbon reduction ambitions.


T


he future of off - grid heating is being debated in a new consultation and we’re seeing


both consumers and industry make their voices heard. Already nearly 10,000 rural households, technicians and fuel distributors have responded to the government’s Alternative Clean Heating consultation in support of renewable liquid heating fuels. By the time you read this,


on our current trajectory, that fi gure will likely have surpassed 10,000. The signal to policymakers could not be louder: people living and working off -grid want the government to listen. If you haven’t yet added your


voice, there is still time to act if you’re reading this before the 10 February deadline. Every single response counts in showing the government that a pragmatic, inclusive approach is the only way forward. So, with this consultation


and the recent publication of the government’s Warm Homes Plan, many in the industry are asking: what does this all actually mean for the 1.7 million homes currently using liquid fuels?


Off -grid challenge To date, the government has focused on a ‘heat pump fi rst’ approach. While heat pumps are undoubtedly a vital part of the UK’s net zero strategy, there is recognition within DESNZ that not all homes are suited to a single technology. Hence the publication of this consultation on alternative clean heating fuels. Firstly, let’s be clear about


what we are calling for. We believe in a technology-neutral approach. We recognise the role of heat pumps, but we fi rmly believe that renewable liquid


Malcolm Farrow Director of marketing and external affairs at OFTEC


fuels, such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), must have a role to provide a practical and aff ordable option for harder to treat homes. The barrier to adoption


for many on oil heating is primarily fi nancial, and this hasn’t changed in the past fi ve years. Unfortunately, most of the options set out in the consultation fail on this point too, being either expensive to install, expensive to run, or both. Some, like solid biomass, also present insurmountable practical challenges too. The government’s new


For the Warm Homes Plan to be a success off-grid, it must be bolstered by a pragmatic and multi-technology approach


Warm Homes Plan attempts to address this by extending the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) and off ering various low interest and zero interest loans to install heat pumps, as well as solar panels. However, this doesn’t feel particularly new. It could also leave households facing additional costs paying back interest. Not to mention the practical problem of the disruption of replacing an entire heating system in an older, poorly insulated property. With a replacement boiler


likely to cost no more than £4,000 and normally installed in a day, it’s hard to see many households wanting to opt for these very expensive and disruptive alternatives.


Rural engagement The strength of feeling amongst off -grid households is clear and undeniable. As I said, in just over a month, we have seen nearly 10,000 people engage with the consultation and call for support for renewable liquid fuels. Just recently, dozens of oil


heating users from the village of Kehelland in Cornwall travelled to London to meet policymakers and share their fi rst-hand experience of using these fuels. This isn’t just a policy debate for them. It’s about protecting their homes and their budgets. It’s pleasing too that roughly


15% of these respondents are technicians and fuel distributors. From Cornwall to Wales and up to Scotland, the industry has spoken with one voice. Renewable liquid fuels have genuine popular support because they off er a fair and practical transition. We have already shown they


work through a successful industry demonstration project involving 150 properties across the country. A blend of renewable fuel and kerosene could be introduced quickly and easily, working in existing boilers and tanks.


Continued uncertainty The current situation is not just the fault of the present administration. Successive governments have delayed, switched direction, and changed their minds with their off -grid decarbonisation policy. This lack of clarity and pragmatism is damaging for everyone: consumers, technicians, manufacturers, fuel distributors and training providers. The government has stated


that any decision on renewable liquid heating fuels is unlikely until much later in this decade. In the meantime, households and the industry are left in limbo, and an opportunity to make signifi cant progress is lost.


 Oil heating users in the village of Kehelland in Cornwall travelled to DESNZ in Westminster to make the case for renewable liquid heating fuels


If you feel like you’ve read


this before, that’s because it’s not the fi rst time we have been in this situation. It can make manufacturers uncertain where to invest, technicians unable to give their customers long-term advice, and households unsure how much to save up to replace their heating system. As a result, uncertainty and a lack of choice inevitably leads to poorer outcomes.


Call for pragmatism We share the government’s ambition to reduce emissions and lower energy bills. We are, and will continue, to work positively with the government to ensure the transition onto low carbon heating is achievable for everyone. However, for the Warm Homes Plan to be a success off -grid, it must be bolstered by a pragmatic and multi- technology approach. Policymakers must


acknowledge that for the off -grid sector, a drop-in renewable fuel is a sensible path forward. That’s why, in the last few weeks until this consultation closes, we are urging everyone living off -grid or working in the industry to share their views through this consultation. This is the best chance you will have to infl uence government policy. Don’t miss the opportunity. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/226/40


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