Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
That’s a of hot air..
PM’S energy plan to cut CO2 gases by 2050 ‘Strategy unfit for purpose’, say critics
How do I get a grant for the heat pump scheme?
The PM plans to cut CO2 emissions by nearly 70% by 2030, including £5,000 grants to install heat pumps instead of gas boilers.
The funding, which will be available from April for three years, forms part of a £450m boiler upgrade scheme.
But Friends of the Earth said the money would support only 90,000 grants and won’t meet the target of 600,000 a year by 2028.
At present 25 million UK homes are heated by gas. What is a heat pump and how does it work? These pumps extract heat from the outside air or ground around your home even when it is really cold.
They work a bit like your fridge – only in reverse. This heat is concentrated to a higher temperature by the pump and used to create hot water and heating.
How much do they cost to install?
Heat pumps are not cheap. The Energy
Saving Trust says they will cost between £6,000 and £8,000 while a ground source heat pump may range from £10,000 to £18,000. Homes
need to be well-insulated for them to function properly. But is it worth it? What are the benefits?
At present, 85% of UK homes have boilers that burn natural gas, releasing hundreds of thousands of tons of CO2. For the UK to reach net zero emissions by 2050, almost all of our 29 million homes will need to switch to low-carbon heating.
Currently, the figure is just 5%. It is estimated installing a pump can cut emissions by 23 tons over 10 years (the same as 30 return flights between Heathrow and Madrid).
Installing a heat pump can also help families to reduce costs. A three-bed household would save £2,755 over 10 years, says EDF Energy.
Can I install a hydrogen boiler instead?
There are working prototypes but it is not yet possible to buy or install one. Ministers also say it is too early to determine whether hydrogen is a practical and cost-effective alternative to natural gas.
BORIS Johnson’s green strategy to slash carbon emissions has been branded “unfit for purpose”.
The Prime Minister’s push towards an eco-friendly economy will hit struggling Brits hard in the pocket.
Many will face dearer mortgages as lenders could restrict how much money people can borrow if their new home is not green enough.
And motorists have been urged to ditch their petrol cars in favour of electric vehicles, currently costing an average of £44,000 by 2030.
The Treasury warned the multimillion pound scheme will leave a vast black hole in the public finances by the 2040s without new taxes.
It comes as families face an energy and cost of living crisis, with many needing their homes upgraded with insulation and double glazing to reduce costs, Labour said.
MP Clive Lewis described the strategy as a “burn now, pay later document and strategy that isn’t fit for purpose”.
Officials said people are able to access grants worth £5,000 in order to replace their gas boilers with more eco-friendly heat pumps. But it will not cover the full cost of installation.
And not all homeowners will be able to access the grant worth £450m of taxpayer cash, which would be enough for 90,000 grants.
People will want to know if the promises will be actually delivered or result in failure COMMONS COMMITTEE CHAIR DARREN JONES ON STRATEGY
The PM’S Heat and Buildings Strategy was published yesterday, as part of the drive for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
It comes before world leaders meet in Glasgow next month to negotiate how to curb climate change.
The Government says switching to clean energy will create 440,000 “wellpaid” jobs over the next decade.
But the Business and Energy Select Committee Chair Darren Jones added: “People across the country will want to know whether the promises made today will actually be delivered, or once again result in failure.”
Ministers are investing £620m in grants for electric vehicles and street charging points.
The Government said it will draw up to £90bn of private investment by 2030 and an extra £350m is set to help the car industry move to electric.
But there was no mention of eating less, flying less and recycling more.
Shadow Business Secretary Ed Miliband warned: “This is a plan torpedoed by the Treasury.
“Again, it has failed to recognise that the prudent, responsible choice is to sufficiently invest in a green transition.”
Energy minister Greg Hands said the strategy “is not just an environmental transition, it represents an important economic change too”.