Do remember COP26?

A recap of the agreements at COP26

The overall target at COP26 is to gather the international community to discuss how to keep global warming below 2.C.

The COP26 commitments were:

• Over 100 countries agreed to stop deforestation by 2030.
  105 countries agreed to cut 30% of the current methane emission by 2030.
  40 countries agreed to shift away from coal.
  450 financial organisations agreed to back clean technology.

How does the Heat and Building Strategy reflect the targets agreed in COP26?

The Heat and Building Strategy brings these commitments home, it sets out how the government intends to help decarbonise our homes. The relationship between the two is somewhat self-evident, we’ve picked out the most relevant information from the proposed Heat and Building Strategy and what this could mean for your oil-fired home.

• Fossil fuel boiler installations (replacement) for off-gas-grid homes will be phased out from 2026.
  Gas boiler installations are to be phased out by 2035.
• The RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) will be replaced by the ‘Boiler Upgrade Scheme’ in April 2022. This could contribute £5,000 upfront if you replace your boiler with an air-source heat pump.
• There will be an Upgrade Grant scheme available in April 2022, to help low-income off-gas grid consumers install low-carbon heating systems.
• The government are encouraging heat pump as the preferred low-carbon heating solution.
• Hybrid heat pump systems and some low-carbon heating alternatives may not be eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
• Hydrogen and heat networks will be part of renewable energy solutions once they are ready for domestic use

As an oil household, should you be thinking about switching to low-carbon energy options?

It's not easy to always get the right information to work our the right choice for you today. We’ve broken the information to consider when you are interested in replacing your boilers.

If you have a working oil heating system these are the things to consider:

1. Clearly, the pace is changing for installing low-carbon heating systems. As the development of technology increases, we should see the installer network grow and potentially see costs associated with low-carbon heating drop.

2. There is more to understand with regard to alternative liquid fuels, such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) that cuts emissions by ~90%. The heating industry is currently trialling this new fossil-free alternative to heating oil. 

3. If your heating system doesn’t need replacing anytime soon, it may well be worth waiting before investing in a new low-carbon heating system. 

Not only are the above-valued reasons to wait, but you’ll also want to get the most value from your current system! Therefore, the most sensible time to consider replacing your heating system is at the natural point of replacement.

If your oil heating system needs replacing soon

If you need to replace your heating system soon, it’s worth considering whether a heat pump is right for you and your home.

You may find that such a system is not compatible with your property, as this is not unusual.

If this is the case, you can still save money and reduce your environmental impact with a modern condensing boiler as they can deliver ~30% reduction in your oil use.

If you want to find out more, your best next step is to get an up-to-date EPC to truly understand potential savings and investigate whether your home is suitable for a heat pump.

We would recommend from this point you seek a range of quotes from reputable suppliers before taking the plunge!