UK homes are primarily heated by fossil fuels and contribute 13 per cent of the UK’s carbon footprint. The report says this is incompatible with UK climate legislation targeting net-zero economy by 2050.
New polling finds that consumers are open to greener ways to heat their homes into the future but that they are “still in the dark about smarter, greener heating solutions and lack access to independent advice to help them make better decisions for their homes, pockets and the planet.”
The report – Uncomfortable Home Truths: why Britain urgently needs a low carbon heat strategy – says a new national roadmap is needed by 2020 which puts consumers and households at the heart of a revolution in green heat innovation.
It recommends the creation of an Olympic-style delivery body to catalyse and coordinate regional innovation and local leadership, tailored to different parts of the UK and the nation’s diverse housing.
Accelerating innovation in green heat includes piloting and scaling new home and district heating solutions, trialling new data and payment models and bolstering grid resilience to cope with increasing low carbon supply and flexible demand.
Jonathan Shaw, chief executive of Policy Connect, said: “As more of us flick on our home heating this month, the question of how we heat British homes in the future without breaking the bank or Britain’s carbon budget is becoming a national emergency.
“Most of us want to do the right thing for the planet, but are in the dark about where to start when it comes to heating our own homes. Consumers need a strong government vision and access to independent advice to help them make smarter, greener choices on new home heating systems that will give them better control over their bills, their carbon and their comfort.”
Joanna Furtado, sustainability manager at Policy Connect, and lead author, said: “The next five years are critical for heat decarbonisation in new and existing homes and meeting our climate targets. We need to spark a national conversation on heat as MPs and consumers are still in the dark on the carbon and cost savings greener home heat solutions could offer.”