16,000 submissions: A huge milestone for Alternative Clean Heating
February 11, 2026
The government’s Alternative Clean Heating consultation closed on 10 February 2026, and the response has been extraordinary.
The government’s Alternative Clean Heating consultation closed on 10 February 2026, and the response has been extraordinary.
Oil heated homes have just a few days left to respond to a government consultation on the future of home heating as a record breaking milestone is achieved.
We welcome the publication of the Warm Homes Plan and share the government’s ambition to deliver affordable, low carbon heating solutions to reduce both energy bills and carbon emissions for homes and businesses.
More oil heated homes are being urged not to miss their chance to speak out after thousands of households responded to a government consultation on the future of home heating in just a few weeks.
Oil heated households are being urged to submit their views on how their homes should be heated in the future as part of a new government consultation.
Amid the widespread speculation ahead of the Budget regarding a potential VAT cut on gas and electricity bills, our position was clear: if the government acted, it had to be fair and include off-grid homes too.
A new government consultation has been published which recognises the potential role of alternative heating solutions, including renewable liquid fuels, for decarbonising heating in off-gas grid homes and non-domestic buildings.
Trade associations OFTEC and UKIFDA have written to the Prime Minister to outline growing concerns the government is planning to cut VAT on gas and electricity bills in the upcoming Budget but could once again overlook rural homes on oil heating.
Labour MPs have written to the new Minister for Energy Consumers, Martin McCluskey MP, at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero calling for the government to support a renewable liquid fuel solution for oil heated homes in its upcoming Warm Homes Plan.
If the 1.7m oil heated homes in the UK each claimed the existing £7,500 government subsidy to switch to a heat pump, the total cost to the taxpayer could be billions of pounds. To achieve net zero, Labour’s current policy proposals are for the vast majority of oil heated homes to transition to a heat pump. To support with the upfront cost, a £7,500 grant is available from the government for eligible households through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
In the heart of Cornwall, the village of Kehelland is at the forefront of a project to demonstrate why the renewable liquid fuel Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is the ideal solution to decarbonising homes on oil heating.
A groundbreaking demonstration project saw dozens of residents and community buildings switch their home heating from kerosene to HVO, a low carbon alternative which drastically cuts emissions and only requires a minor modification to the boiler. The project not only enabled local residents to play their part in decarbonising, but also provided real word evidence of the effectiveness and practicality of HVO for domestic use.
We’re urging MPs in rural areas to support more affordable, low carbon heating options for the UK’s 1.7 million oil-heated homes. With Labour focused on heat pumps, many rural households risk facing costs of over £20,000 to adapt. Instead, we’re backing renewable liquid fuels like HVO, which cut emissions by up to 90% and work with existing systems, offering a practical, lower-cost alternative.
In a quiet corner of rural Essex, 75-year-old Sue Bright is doing her best to contribute to a greener future but like many off-grid residents, she’s facing barriers. With her home unsuited to a heat pump and her oil boiler still in good working order, Sue is calling on the government to support alternative low-carbon heating fuels like HVO.
Malcolm Magee, a retiree living in rural Suffolk, wanted to do his part for the planet by transitioning from oil heating to a more sustainable solution. But his bungalow – like many off-grid homes – isn’t suitable for a heat pump, the government’s preferred route to decarbonisation. With renewable liquid fuels such as HVO offering a viable alternative, Malcolm and thousands like him remain stuck in limbo as Westminster delays decisive action.
The government is being urged to set out a clear road map for decarbonising rural households in its upcoming Warm Homes Plan, as a new survey of off-gas grid consumers reveals increasing concerns over the cost of transitioning to low carbon heating.