Liquid Gas UK reacts to launch of Energy White Paper

Commenting on the Energy White Paper, Sophia Haywood,  Director of Public Affairs at Liquid Gas UK said: “We are delighted to see that the Energy White Paper recognises that there is no single technology alternative to the role of fossil fuels in heating homes and other buildings as we transition to Net Zero. While heat pumps have a clear role to play, a route solely focused on electrification will leave rural households behind and cost off-grid areas an extra £7bn to decarbonise.

“It is vital that we take a mixed technology approach to heat decarbonisation, using a range of clean fuels such as bioLPG and hybrid heat pumps. With the Government to consult in early 2021 on the phasing out of high-carbon fossil fuels for heating off-grid properties, it's important that the ‘no one size fits all' principle is kept at the front of mind and that a range of solutions are supported to help rural homes and businesses reduce their carbon footprint.

“The LPG industry is committed to being part of a Net Zero future, which is why it launched its 2040 Vision and spent over £100m on bioLPG last year. Switching from oil or coal to LPG immediately reduces carbon emissions and improves air quality, but a transition to bioLPG takes this even further with up to 90% carbon emissions reduction. As a drop in fuel, switching over from LPG to bioLPG means no costly infrastructure changes are needed. Indeed, with plans for rented non-domestic buildings to be EPC B by 2030 and steps to improve owner occupier housing stock, homes and businesses need practical, low cost solutions - particularly in these difficult economic times.

“We also welcome the Energy White paper’s acknowledgment that that changes may be needed to EPC’s to deliver progress. The current EPC methodology, which encourages off-grid rural homeowners to take up higher carbon but lower cost heating solutions to achieve a better EPC rating, needs reform. Without changes to the methodology, rural off-grid homes will not make the transition to Net Zero, nor will many of the EPC policy goals in this paper become a reality.”