A new report issued by the Government’s official climate advisors has been welcomed by a spokesperson for the Worcester, Bosch Group.

Neil Schofield, head of government and external affairs at Worcester, Bosch Group – one of several stakeholders consulted as part of the report’s research – believes the Committee on Climate Change’s Next steps to UK heat policy report offers clear direction for the heating industry to follow in its bid to green Britain’s heating supplies.

He 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.

He added: “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.”

He 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.

He said: “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 new ministers in position at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have a fantastic opportunity to make a real name for themselves by driving these recommendations forward. All we need from them now is the political will to make a real difference.”