The subject of off-grid heating seems to have gone rather quiet in recent months. In October 2021 the then Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department (BEIS) issued a consultation on the subject that was centred on the proposed phasing out of fossil fuel heating systems, such as oil, coal, and liquid petroleum gas, in homes currently off the gas grid. 

The government has, however, so far failed to react to the responses garnered. Unfortunately, this has caused progress on the topic to stall, and since the potential steer from this consultation could have quite serious implications on the market, it is crucial that both customers and industry should have enough time to prepare accordingly. 

Meanwhile, the off-grid gas industries, liquid gas and, of course, oil, are making their representations to government. This comprises an alternative biofuel that could be substituted for either liquid petroleum gas or kerosene oil that are typically used in the 1.5 million households that heat their homes off the gas grid. 

Uncertainty

The situation is complicated further by the short timescale involved. The original Heat and Buildings Strategy proposed that high carbon emitting fuels, such as oil, liquid petroleum gas, and coal, should be banned from commercial buildings from 2024 and domestic buildings from 2026. 

This shrinking timeline and the overwhelming dominance of fossil fuels on the current infrastructure make the standstill on this topic all the more difficult to navigate when the results of the government’s deliberations remain so unpredictable. 

The development of products that run off these alternative fuels require a lot of forward planning from appliance manufacturers, in addition to winter field trials and various other endurance trials. 

All this needs to happen before they can be released on the market, and any delay makes the turnaround for the industry ever tighter and those developmental requirements less and less possible to be met, unless we see some decision. The lack of a clear steer on this issue is also hindering potential innovation in the field. 

Once we know what the regulations are, the industry can then prepare appropriately. But this is not the only pressure facing the government on the subject. 

Frustration

There is, perhaps understandably, a certain amount of backlash from householders living off-grid as to why they should they be first to be subjected to significant changes in the way they heat their homes. 

Why, they ask, shouldn’t they be able to work along similar timescales to those afforded to properties connected to the gas grid? For those, the deadlines lie somewhere in the 2030s. This is a very understandable argument, and it is fair to say that there is frustration in this quarter too at the lack of direction on this topic. 

Many rural MPs are raising the topic at Prime Minister’s Questions and other parliamentary events, after being pressed by their constituents to find answers, and our staff members themselves are being questioned almost on a daily basis as to whether either of these fuels are to be banned in the near future. For now, the reply can only be: this is the government’s expressed intention so far, but we have heard and seen no action to put it into concrete action. 

In summary, we urge the government to provide a timely decision, as the lack of clarity and direction on this topic are causing much concern for households powered off-grid and the industry that serves them. Certainty as to where we go from here will allow us to prepare accordingly and aid the smooth transition into greener fuels.