Previous analysis from the think tank found that upgrading one million homes each year from the current average EPC rating of band D to the government’s ambition of band C would give an average cut in gas demand of 20% per home. It says that a 20% cut across one million homes is 3.6TWh per year; aka 1.15% of household gas use; 0.44% of total UK demand; and 0.69% of UK net imports.
In addition, according to the ECIU, a switch to heat pumps for an average band C home would see an 80% cut in gas use at present. It’s not 100% because the current grid mix includes about 40% gas-powered generation, which is included by factoring in the efficiencies of gas power stations, gas boilers, and heat pumps.
By combining the two, the UK could reduce gas demand by the equivalent of its imports from Russia by as early as 2027. In just over 10 years’ time, gas savings would reach 80TWh per year, which is over 25% of current household gas demand and about 10% of total UK demand.
Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, Head of Analysis at the ECIU, said: "Amidst the shock of this war and the rush to develop radical solutions to the crisis facing gas supplies, the UK would do well to look to practical measures it can take that will permanently reduce bills particularly for those who are increasingly struggling to cover them.
"More UK gas will not cut energy bills. More insulation and heat pumps will cut bills, but are now also a matter of national security. They can be installed to start cutting demand and imports right away and a concerted deployment campaign would see those savings build into a major contribution to ending our gas dependency, cutting Putin’s power and the vulnerability of our poorest households to the volatile gas market."
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