David Jones MP for Clwyd West, a rural constituency in Wales is supporting a Westminster Hall Debate on Thursday 16th June on ‘The Future of low-carbon off-gas grid home and business heating’

David will be giving the opening speech at the debate where it is likely that the risks from the Government’s ‘rural first’ and ‘heat pump first’ approach will be discussed.

You can watch the debate on Thursday at this link

The Rural Services Network has raised concerns over the Government’s approach as outlined in the Heat and Buildings Strategy.  The Rural Lens review of this strategy by the RSN sets out these key points:

• Air source heat pumps are most likely to be attractive in homes that are well insulated[1] and are a cost-effective low carbon solution in around 50% of rural households[2]. However, the Government believes that 80% of off-grid homes are suitable for a heat pump, even though 47% of rural homes were built before 1949[3] and only 3% are at EPC C or higher.
• Hard to decarbonise rural homes with limited opportunity for further insulation will need diverse and decarbonised options, including wood pellets, biokerosene, hybrid heat pumps, and BioLPG, with strict safeguards to ensure all biomass meets rigorous sustainability standards.
• The government’s proposed ‘Rural First’ approach, with a replacement boiler ban proposed from 2026 in off grid homes and 2024 for larger off grid businesses, will mean higher replacement heating costs for rural homes and businesses compared to urban on grid homes, where there is no confirmed boiler ban date (Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission has called for a 2035 ban on new boiler sales).
• The government’s proposed Heat Pump First approach is reliant on government’s very optimistic aspiration for heat pump costs falling dramatically, from an average of £12k per rural home, to parity with gas boilers by the end of this decade. By going first, rural homes won’t enjoy the full benefit from any cost reduction in heat pumps.
• Choice, not mandate - options are needed that are suitable for all homeowners, dependent on their situation (financial, physical and property).  To achieve conversion for all homes in 30 years needs financial support, available equipment, and a workforce to deliver – which needs a range of solutions. Where heat pumps are installed, this should be because households want them, rather than because the law forces them to install one.
• Equal status – mistakes will unavoidably be made as heap pump installations ramp up, but rural areas should not be treated as a test bed to trial systems for the rest of the UK. 2 million diverse rural homes are not “low or no regret” or “low hanging fruit” – we need to get them right for the policy to work for everyone.
• Heat Pump Ready first, not Rural First – all homes post 1970 – both on and off grid – should be targeted first, not the more challenging off grid homes. This will help meet the government ambition of 600,000 annual heat pump installs by 2028 is met, and reduce the risk of negative installation experience for households

[1] Simple Energy Advice, government endorsed advice website
[2] Ecuity Economics
[3] Ecuity Economics based on DECC Cambridge Housing Model

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Rural Services, for which the Rural Services Network provides the Secretariat, is also meeting the Minister (Lord Callanan, Minister for Business, Energy and Corporate Responsibility) on 19th July to discuss these issues.

Whether the Government will listen to the debate and change it’s strategy to ensure that rural areas are not disadvantaged in the move towards decarbonisation remains to be seen.