New report a “welcome roadmap for heating efficiency”

Published:  19 October, 2016

A report suggesting hydrogen could be a sustainable alternative to natural gas, issued by the Committee on Climate Change, has been welcomed by boiler manufacturer, Worcester, Bosch.

Neil Schofield, head of government and external affairs at Worcester, Bosch Group believes the report, Next steps to UK heat policy, offers clear direction for the heating industry to follow in its bid to green Britain’s heating supplies.

Mr Schofield said: “At long last we appear to have robust advice for the government to follow which acknowledges that energy policy needs to be about more than simply switching the lights off. Heat represents 40% of the energy we consume and 20% of our Greenhouse Gas emissions, so it is pleasing to see the Committee on Climate Change produce such a welcome roadmap for heating efficiency.

“By indicating that hydrogen could indeed prove to be a sustainable long-term alternative to natural gas, the report effectively advises the Government to stay faithful to our hugely successful and accessible gas grid, which has to be the most practical route towards our 2050 climate targets.

Mr Schofield went on to stress his expectation that it is this decarbonisation of the grid at source – rather than the report’s other proposed option, the increased use of heat pumps – that will have the greatest impact on greening UK heating supplies.

“Yes, heat pumps have their place in certain instances, particularly in the new-build sector, but they can also be a difficult sell to the homeowner and disruptive to install within an existing property. By using the existing framework we have in a more sustainable way, we can decarbonise heat with as little upheaval as possible.”

The report, which consulted Worcester, Bosch as one of several stakeholders in its research, follows a report on decarbonising domestic heat from think tank Policy Exchange, which made similar recommendations.