UK's Green Heating Target in Jeopardy as Boiler Upgrade Scheme Falters
The UK's national target for green heating is in jeopardy, according to the Lords Climate Change Committee. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, designed to promote heat pumps, has fallen short of its goals, with only a fraction of intended vouchers distributed. Baroness Parminter, chair of the committee, has criticised ministers for inadequate promotion of the scheme.
The scheme, launched to encourage homeowners to replace gas and oil boilers with heat pumps, aimed to distribute 30,000 vouchers annually. However, between its launch in May and the end of last year, only 9,888 vouchers were issued. Heat pumps, which are three times more efficient than gas boilers and cheaper to run in the long term, have seen slow uptake. As of now, only 50,000 heat pumps have been installed in the UK, despite heating homes accounting for approximately 17% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
The government plans to address this by launching a marketing campaign to increase public awareness of the scheme. However, the Lords Climate Change Committee has described the scheme's progress as 'seriously failing'.
The UK's transition to green heating is lagging behind, with only a small number of heat pumps installed and a significant shortfall in voucher distribution. While the government plans to boost awareness, the Lords Climate Change Committee has raised concerns about the scheme's progress. Increased promotion and improved access to the scheme are crucial to meet the national target for green heating.
