WWF calls for 4 million pumps
19 Nov 2014
Environmental organisation also calls for 600,000 non-domestic heat pumps and 1.5 million biomass boilers to be installed.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has issued its latest energy report revealing how the opportunity to create warm, affordable low-carbon homes and workplaces is at risk unless the government takes action to tackle the carbon emissions released from heating homes and businesses.
“The government’s support for renewable heat is making slow but steady progress, but at the current rate will fail to meet our climate change goals,” said WWF-UK climate and energy specialist Zoe Leader.
“In the next 15 years, the UK needs to insulate 8 million lofts, install nearly 4 million heat pumps and quadruple the number of homes connected to heat networks.
“That’s not going to happen without stronger government support. The prize at the end will be many more warmer, healthier homes that are cheaper to run.”
The WWF report, ‘Warm homes, not warm words’, also calls for over 600,000 non-domestic heat pumps and more than 1.5 million biomass boilers to be installed in the UK by 2030 to help meet low-carbon targets.
If changes are successfully implemented, Leader claims there is “real opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint from heating”.
“It is clear that strong government policies can address the barriers to large scale deployment, help reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels while supporting enterprise and innovation in a new industry,” Leader said.
Findings from the WWF report have gained support from heat and power industry representatives.
“I welcome WWF’s call for heat networks to become a national infrastructure priority,” said Combined Heat & Power Association director Tim Rotheray.
“Heat networks can be one of the most cost effective ways to decarbonise heat while consumers also benefit from lower energy bills.”
According to the WWF report, just 2% of UK heating demand is met by low-carbon sources and the government is still “very far” from achieving its 25% low-carbon sources goal by 2030, as outlined by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) in July 2014.
Currently, heating accounts for 32% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions and 44% of UK energy use.
Failure to address its contribution to carbon emissions will seriously undermine efforts to meet climate change targets, the WWF said.
