OFTEC have said that the 'Government must develop a more inclusive UK heat policy which addresses the key issues of energy efficiency and fuel poverty alongside efforts to reduce carbon emissions from heating in off-grid homes'. There's supposedly 4 million UK households living in fuel poverty and this poverty much higher in rural areas where most off gas grid homes are located.Therefore OFTEC says UK heat policy must also tackle energy efficiency. However the government’s main carbon reduction scheme for UK homes has been the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), but this hasn't gone so well because its so expensive to install renewable technologies.
Back to InsightsRecommendations to the Government
OFTEC wrote to the Secretary of State suggesting various principles to be added into the new government policy. It includes the following;- A 'joined-up' approach to address carbon reduction, energy efficiency and fuel poverty, simultaneously
- Compatible solutions which are easy to install in UK homes without expensive renovation
- Affordable measures to encourage high levels of participation
- Incentivise take up of solutions through simple, low cost loans and/or a scrappage payment scheme
- Reduce bureaucracy to a minimum, encouraging buy-in from all competent installers to promote solutions
- Pragmatic, value solutions which give the best result for least cost e.g. condensing boilers, controls and insulation rather than costly renewables