An industry awards programme, which recognises talented young individuals in the LPG sector, has opened for nominations this June.

Organised by trade association Liquid Gas UK, and proudly sponsored by Vaillant, the annual initiative returns for its fourth year for those aged 35 and under who are making a significant impact in the LPG and renewable liquid gases industry.

Opening the awards, Mark Wilkins, technologies and training director at Vaillant, said:

"We’re incredibly proud to sponsor the young person in LPG awards again this year. These awards are crucial in recognising and celebrating the achievements of young professionals in our industry. By highlighting their contributions, we hope to inspire even more young people to pursue careers in the industry."

As part of the sector's ambitious transition to being 100% renewable by 2040 and catapult commercial production of renewable liquid gases, Liquid Gas UK forecasts significant job growth, indicating a bright future for careers in this sector.

George Webb, chief executive of Liquid Gas UK said:

"As our industry advances towards a renewable future, it’s essential to attract and retain new talent. The next generation will be key in delivering this transition and ensuring LPG remains a future-proof heating option. These awards play a vital role in recognising and encouraging the young talent that will lead our industry forward."

Nominations for the awards are open from 26 June 2024 and will close on 6 September 2024. All nominations will be judged by an expert awards panel, with winners announced at the Liquid Gas UK Annual Conference in Cardiff on 10 October 2024.

For more information and to submit applications, please visit the Liquid Gas UK website: liquidgasuk.org or download the application form.

The Fall of the Blue Wall: Rural Britain’s Political Shift

The general election brought with it a clear movement away from the Conservatives among rural voters. The Liberal Democrats made major gains in rural areas, particularly blue wall seats across the South East and South West, securing its place as the third largest party with more than 70 seats. This has meant a radical shift in rural representation; ahead of the election, of the more than 250 MPs representing rural constituencies, only 22 of those were represented Labour, with the vast majority made up of Conservatives with the occasional Plaid Cymru or Liberal Democrat MP. However, following the results earlier this month rural representation is much more diverse with 114 Labour MPs, 83 Conservative MPs, 44 Liberal Democrats MPs, three Green MPs, three Reform MPs and four MPs from Plaid Cymru.

This drop-off in support across traditional Conservative heartlands was demonstrated clearly in recent polling carried out on behalf of Liquid Gas UK. The poll of over 2,500 rural voters showed that only 19% of thought that the Conservatives care the most about rural communities. Instead, voters put Labour, 30%, and the Green Party, 31%, neck-and-neck for who they believe has the interest of rural communities at heart. 

The new research highlights that this shift could be attributed to the former Government’s approach to energy policy in rural areas, with 79% of rural voters believing that the Government has overlooked the unique energy challenges faced by rural communities, and 79% stating that not enough support has been given to rural homeowners to decarbonise their heating systems.

Under previous plans, homes using fuels such as oil, LPG or solid-fuel heating systems would have been unable to replace their heating system with a like-for-like in the event it should fail from 2035. However, the new Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, has confirmed consumers won’t be forced to rip out their boilers – a positive move for rural homeowners whose property may not have been suitable for a heat pump.

There is a clear appetite amongst rural communities for alternative ways to heat their homes and businesses in the future. The polling demonstrates that over 77% would be supportive of a policy that allows them to use their existing boiler, running on renewable fuels, beyond 2035.

Heating accounts for 18% of all UK emissions and decarbonising the way we all heat our homes will play a significant role in the UK meeting its Net Zero targets. We therefore need a mosaic of different technologies to ensure solutions are the right ones for different localities and take into account specific local challenges. We urge the Government to endorse a mixed-technology approach that includes alternative options such as renewable liquid gases, reflecting the diversity of our rural housing stock and allowing households to reduce their emissions in a feasible and affordable way. More needs to be done to support rural homeowners and offer them a choice in how they decarbonise.