04 April 2023
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Henk van Den Berg, Strategic Business Manager, Heating & Renewables at Daikin UK provides a response to the “Green Day” policy announcements.
Henk Van den Berg from heat pump manufacturer Daikin UK said: “While it’s reassuring to see the government taking steps to get the UK onto the path to net-zero, the latest announcements are missing a clear timescale for the important shift of the Climate Change Levy away from electricity.
“The government continues to split the nations’ focus on renewable heating in the home and in business, with further investment in hydrogen, which lacks the technology and infrastructure to make a meaningful and immediate impact.
“Couple this with not bringing forward a ban on fossil fuel boilers in UK homes, and the government is missing a huge opportunity to decarbonise homes in the short to medium term.
“Extending the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to 2028 is a positive step, but there’s a real need for transition technologies such as hybrid heat pumps to be brought into the fold. These can be retrofitted into UK homes quickly and easily, allowing homeowners to take a first step into renewable heating, and have already been successful in transitioning homes to greener forms of heating in other European nations.
“At the same time, people need to be convinced they will save money by replacing fossil fuel with renewable energy. A heat pump will typically save 5-10% in annual running costs compared to a gas boiler. However, this will rise significantly once the climate levy switches to gas and the price of electricity comes down and this can’t happen soon enough.
“Without all of this, Powering Up Britain will not happen at the pace that is needed for our economy and our environment.”
www.daikin.co.uk
