Responding to today’s publication of the Government’s new Heat and Building Strategy, Patrick Hall, Senior Research Fellow at Bright Blue, commented:
“The Government appears to have learned some of the lessons from the failed Green Homes Grant. Unlike its predecessor, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is simpler and longer-term.
“In the tug of war between Number 10 and BEIS and the Treasury over funding, it appears as if the latter has won out, and we have been left with a plan which is a welcome start, but doesn’t yet meet the scale of the challenge.
“The £5,000 subsidy, while it will be adequate for some households, will not be for others, particularly for poorer households and those that require ground source heat pumps which are more efficient in colder climates, but can cost well upwards of £10,000 to install.
”The Government’s stated aim is to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028, so the maximum of only 90,000 pumps to be covered over the next three years falls far too short. The funding simply isn’t sufficient.
“Heat pumps also work best when the homes that they heat are well insulated. 19mn homes in the UK currently have EPC ratings below C, meaning a great many homes will also require provisions for vital energy efficiency upgrades.
“We need consistency that will allow supply chains to scale up, mature the market for heat pumps, and expand training for installers and insulators.
“The opportunities from the transition to greener households are huge, both for creating thousands of new, quality jobs, but also for making the UK more energy self-sufficient, and less susceptible to the supply shocks we have seen recently.”
To arrange an interview with a Bright Blue spokesperson or for further media enquiries, please contact Joseph Silke at joseph@brightblue.org.uk or on 07948 420 584.
[Image: Marcela Gara, Resource Media]
