Call for rethink of way we heat our homes
Friday, 13 January 2012 11:26 AM
We need a fundamental rethink of the way we heat our homes if the government is to stand any chance of meeting its target of cutting carbon emissions 80 per cent by 2050.
That is the stark message in a report out today from the Royal Academy of Engineering that looks at new technologies, taxes and incentives for the development of new markets.
The engineering experts argue that tough new energy efficiency standards for new homes will not be enough on their own since most of the homes that will exist in 2050 have already been built.
They say that even if all existing homes had modern gas boilers and state-of-the-art engineering we could not continue to heat them with natural gas and still achieve the 80 per cent target.
And they warn home owners that installation of technologies like solar panels and heat pumps by plumbers and technicians who don't know what they are doing can reduce energy savings and even cost more money.
The report says the government must make firm commitments to emissions targets to encourage investment in new infrastructure and technology, including storage and renewable energy.
It calls for more research into our lifestyles and the way we heat our homes with more use of technology like timers and thermostats and says regulations and taxes must be directed to encouraging a future with more systems like district heating, combined heat and power and heat pumps.
Professor Roger Kemp of Lancaster University, who chairs the Academy's Heat working group, said: "Managing the UK's energy systems in a way that reduces CO2, avoids expensive imports, ensures energy security, does not exacerbate fuel poverty, supports job creation and works with, rather than against, the competitive market will be hugely difficult."
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