Two National Bodies, OFTEC and ACRE are lobbying 500 likely MPs after the next election encouraging them to support plans for a big overhaul to UK home heating policies.
The potential MPs are all standing for rural seats in Parliament and the call is for them to take a more practical approach to lowering fuel poverty and carbon emissions.
Rural housing stock tends to have poorer insulation with worse EPC ratings than urban properties. OFTEC and ACRE want better incentives put in place to encourage better insulation. In addition, the call includes the installation of more efficient condensing boilers through a scrappage scheme, and a different approach to the domestic RHI that will put more emphasis on bi-valent heating systems.
OFTEC’s director general, Jeremy Hawksley said:
“There’s a great opportunity for the new government, whichever political colour it may be, to introduce much more realistic and all-inclusive domestic energy policies that address fuel poverty and carbon emission reduction simultaneously, rather than as separate goals.”
ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) represents 38 rural community councils. Its chief executive, Janice Banks said:
“With a high percentage of inefficient, solid-wall housing and many homes without a connection to the mains gas grid, rural households can face unique fuel poverty challenges. However, the current delivery of Government-backed measures is failing households that live in difficult-to-treat houses and those that have to rely on heating oil or LPG for their energy.”
