The gap created means that there will be more than enough RLF to heat the UK’s 1.7m off-grid homes using heating oil, replacing the current fossil fuel and achieving a carbon saving of up to 88%.

The research was conducted by Portland Analytics and commissioned by the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) on behalf of the Future Ready Fuel campaign.

Ken Cronin, UKIFDA chief executive, commented: “The industry has invested heavily in showing that Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), the leading RLF currently available in this country, can replace the incumbent fossil fuel, kerosene, in domestic home heating systems with a small upfront investment by the householder of around £500.

“The conversion process takes less than one hour and results in a massive carbon saving of up to 88%. To complement technical work, UKIFDA set about demonstrating that there would be enough renewable liquid fuel from sustainable sources to cover the total demand – this report firmly confirms that to be the case.”

Paul Rose, OFTEC chief executive, added: “We are now calling on government to urgently work with the industry to remove the remaining barrier to allow up to 1.7m “hard to treat” oil heated homes in the UK to decarbonise by extending the current RTFO system that reduces consumer prices for RLFs in transport and aviation to rural home heating.”