Malcolm Farrow, director of marketing and external affairs at OFTEC, says summer’s record heatwaves show climate change is already reshaping our homes. Here, he argues that government should combine decarbonisation with practical measures to keep households warm in winter and cool in summer.
We’ve seen a summer of heatwaves this year with multiple records broken. It’s become clear we’re at a stage now where weather patterns aren’t about to change, they have changed. That’s why it’s more important than ever that, as an industry, we continue to play our part in driving down carbon emissions. However, at the same time, we also need to think about how we help households adapt to the changing weather conditions we are seeing today.
Because the government has a legal duty to achieve net zero, the heat strategy developed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) remains focused on carbon reduction, primarily through electric heating. For most households, this means switching to an air source heat pump. Reducing emissions is clearly essential but, at the same time, it’s increasingly apparent that there’s a need for home improvements and cooling to help people cope with these new summer heatwaves.
Otherwise, we’ll end up with low carbon homes that are too hot for people to actually live in! That’s why the government’s net zero strategy must be pragmatic, fluid and adaptable to the changing situation we find ourselves in.
The financial drain of the single technology approach
With regards to carbon reduction, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) provides grants of £7,500 to help households with the upfront cost of switching to a heat pump. Recognising the additional costs off-grid, homes on oil and LPG can now access £9,000 in grant funding. Whilst this is a significant amount on paper, the reality is it rarely covers the total cost of the installation.
Off-grid households are therefore left with thousands of pounds of additional cost, which they can’t afford. That’s why there is an underspend of tens of millions of pounds from BUS every year as households realise the numbers don’t add up. For those who can afford the additional investment, this is a hugely costly scheme to the taxpayer.
This approach drains government and household budgets, at a time when both are increasingly under pressure, leaving no funding left over to implement other home improvement measures. It’s also clear households want to invest in more active ways to keep their house cooler in summer.
Our homes are not built for extreme heat
By focusing so much on cutting carbon emissions, we are ignoring a critical problem that has emerged: our housing stock is not built for managing hot weather like other parts of Europe.
Most of our homes are ineffective at keeping interiors cool when outside temperatures soar. During heatwaves, they quickly become uncomfortable and it takes days for the inside temperature to cool back down. For older residents or people with health conditions, this isn’t just an inconvenience. These hot rooms can become genuinely dangerous.
We must invest more in climate adaptation, alongside decarbonisation, as properties across the country will want, and need, cooling solutions in the years ahead. If you speak to most households right now, they aren’t asking about how they can cut their carbon emissions. They want to keep their properties cooler. That’s where they want to spend any disposable income they have.
A pragmatic solution off the gas grid
Let’s be clear: it’s vital we do not take our focus away from driving down carbon emissions. We must continue with the same level of speed and commitment to transitioning onto low carbon solutions. This is about expanding our approach to also help homes keep cool at the same time. It’s a ‘win-win’, not an ‘either-or’.
Off the gas grid, we have an immediate opportunity to do this. Switching the UK’s 1.7 million oil heated homes to renewable liquid fuels, such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), drastically cuts emissions. At the same time, it removes the upfront cost for both the taxpayer and the household themselves of installing an alternative heating system.
The added benefit is that it frees up funding for both the government and homeowners. This money can then be redirected into adapting properties for hotter summer temperatures, through home improvements and efficient cooling systems.
Rethinking air-to-air heat pumps
Grant funding is already available for air-to-air heat pump systems, which circulate warm or cool air to manage room temperatures efficiently. However, under existing rules, grant funding for air-to-air systems is only available where the technology serves as the sole heating system in the property. This restricts support almost entirely to small flats or studio apartments.
A more pragmatic approach would be to extend the grant eligibility for air-to-air heat pumps to homes with existing heating systems. This would allow households to keep their main rooms cool during intense summer heatwaves. In the winter, that same unit provides useful, low carbon background heating.
Taking the first step
Before we get ahead of ourselves, the first step is transitioning rural off-grid homes onto renewable liquid fuels. Whilst our industry is ready to deliver, at the time of writing we’re still waiting for the government to respond to its Alternative Clean Heating consultation. Simply put, we need the government to implement the policy support required.
Policymakers could then explore how to reallocate existing funding to help households keep cool. This joined up approach delivers a positive outcome for consumers. It protects their savings, keeps them warm in winter, stops their homes overheating in summer, and delivers real carbon reductions. This is the type of pragmatic approach we need from the government. For consumers, we’re sure this would be warmly (or in this case coolly) welcomed.
