Our response to the Heat and Buildings Strategy 2021
The UK government recently released its long-awaited Heat and Buildings strategy, which outlines its roadmap on tackling carbon emissions in homes and businesses.
With 40% Of UK carbon emissions coming from homes, cutting carbon in this area is a must for the UK to reach its Net Zero target.
Part of the strategy includes plans to incentivise homeowners to move away from traditional gas boilers and switch to alternative low-carbon heating solutions.
Homeowners could benefit from a government grant of £5,000 to help them install low-carbon heating systems, as part of the £3.9 billion boiler upgrade scheme to decarbonise heat from buildings.
Mixergy is pleased to see the publication of the strategy but we are concerned that it lacks focus on hot water cylinders which are an essential element of most low carbon heating systems.
The hot water cylinder market is circa 30% lower today than 20 years ago due to the increase in combi boiler installations however, hot water cylinders can significantly lower carbon emissions, energy bills and improve the performance of the hot water system within homes with multiple bathrooms.
The strategy mentions energy storage technologies but fails to promote the benefits that hot water cylinders offer for a practical demand side response (DSR) system to balance the grid, absorbing surplus energy from wind and solar power.
Hot water cylinders can provide multiple benefits to homeowners and can play a significant part in the path to net-zero and as such, we would welcome a strategy to raise awareness of the importance of the hot water cylinder to future-proof homes for the integration of heat pumps and other low carbon technologies and to offer energy flexibility to alleviate grid pressures with the impact of the electrification of heat and increase of uptake of EVs.
The cost of low carbon heating technology needs to reduce and as such it is key that the industry works to address fuel poverty and provide affordable low carbon heating not to forget the hot water production elements of the system.
With COP26 in Glasgow coming up, we need to recognise that the climate crisis is not just a global challenge but also an opportunity for businesses and organisations across all sectors to work together to address it. Building comprehensive relationships and partnerships – at a local, national, and global level.
