There are 1.7 million households in the UK living off the gas grid who use heating oil. Whilst it’s a popular and convenient fuel source, providing the flexibility to shop around and purchase when prices are lower, we all need to play our part in switching to cleaner energy. This will help drive down carbon emissions and tackle climate change. The government also has legally binding targets on the reductions it has to achieve.
We fully support this ambition, but we believe it’s important all households have a choice when it comes to the technologies they can install in their home. Whilst the government’s preferred choice is a heat pump, for some people living off the gas grid this is often a far from ideal solution. That’s because they could face significant cost and disruption to make the necessary upgrades to their property for a heat pump to work effectively. Rural households also, on average, have less disposable income and higher levels of fuel poverty, which limits their options.
These challenges are often misunderstood, or overlooked, in Westminster. That’s why we believe renewable liquid fuels, such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), must be part of the solution. Households should have a choice over whether they switch to a heat pump or HVO so they can adopt the best solution for their home and circumstances.
So, if you want the choice of switching to a renewable liquid fuel, here are five key facts you should know to help spread the message.
1. Renewable liquid fuels are already in use
This is not a hypothetical solution that’s only in a glossy brochure. Renewable liquid fuels have already been thoroughly demonstrated in the real world. Around 150 buildings across the UK switched from kerosene to HVO and used the fuel to heat their home for over two years. It was an overwhelming success and many are still using it today. Simply put, we know it works.
Renewable liquid fuels are also used extensively in the transport sector and are seen as an effective low carbon solution for the aviation industry too. There are already policy mechanisms in place to subsidise the fuel and support its adoption. Research shows there is more than enough fuel to extend this into the domestic heating sector, which is relatively small in comparison.
2. HVO isn’t just for homes
As well as being an excellent solution for homes, HVO is hugely versatile and can be used in other buildings too. As part of our demonstration project, we converted a pub, village hall, church and school to the fuel. Each of these buildings would have struggled to install other low carbon technologies without damaging the character of the building with the disruption. Not to mention the huge costs they would face against limited budgets. HVO was a simple drop in replacement.
We also found that village halls and churches in particular need instant heat which can be turned on and off throughout the day depending when the building is being used. A traditional boiler using a renewable liquid fuel maintains this benefit.
3. It’s easy to switch and cut your emissions
Switching to a fuel such as HVO is very straightforward, only requiring a minor modification to the boiler which a technician can complete as part of a service. As long as your tank is in good working order, no other changes are required. It’s simple, quick and hassle free. The liquid fuel industry is also extremely mature, with experienced technicians and fuel distributors already in place to drive the transition. Additional training on working with HVO is already underway.
When it comes to carbon emissions, switching to HVO immediately reduces emissions by nearly 90%, delivering a massive saving. With government support, the rollout could be completed relatively quickly to avoid any delays in the UK meeting its carbon reduction targets.
4. There is strong support for renewable liquid fuel
We’ve surveyed over 5,000 rural homes and over 90% wanted the option of switching to a renewable liquid fuel such as HVO. Feedback from ordinary households and community buildings using the fuel as part of the demonstration project has been overwhelmingly positive. After a few days, most of them forget they were no longer using traditional heating oil as the transition was seamless.
During the last Parliament, we also saw growing support for renewable liquid fuels amongst backbench rural MPs. They recognised the concern from their constituents that the other solutions being proposed weren’t realistic. The liquid fuel industry, from technicians, manufacturers to fuel distributors are also all working together to make this a viable route forward.
5. Labour has already made a promise on renewable liquid fuels
In October 2023, the Energy Act became an official act of parliament. Within the Act is legislation which the government could invoke to create the renewable liquid heating fuel obligation. This would pave the way for the introduction of HVO and other renewable fuels for home heating. It was introduced with the promise of a consultation within one year – this deadline has now passed.
Whilst Labour weren’t in government at the time, they supported this commitment. Now they are in government, rural households should rightly expect them to follow through. That’s why we’ve been urging rural households to write to the government and urge them to publish the consultation.
Make your voice heard
Over the past few years, we’ve increasingly seen the power ordinary members of the public have to make governments listen and change course. Hundreds of new Labour MPs were also elected with a mandate to support and stand up for rural communities.
You can make a difference. If you want the option of switching to a renewable liquid fuel, you can support our campaign by writing to your MP and signing up to our mailing list.
Together, we can create a fairer and greener future for every rural household.
