A BBC Regional News broadcast on 28 June 2022 featured the hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) heating conversions carried out in Cornwall by the local oil supplier Mitchell & Webber1. The company says it is the first in the country to begin trialling the renewable fossil-free fuel for heating, and that since 2020 its team has converted over 50 oil-fired appliances to HVO, many of them in Kehelland, a small village in west Cornwall1.
The properties converted include domestic homes, businesses, schools and the local church1. Mitchell & Webber estimates that each home saves an average of around five metric tonnes of CO2 per home each year, and states that if all of the estimated 40,000 oil-fired properties in Cornwall made the switch it would be a significant help towards meeting Cornwall Council's target of bringing the county to net-zero by 20301. Nationally, the supplier puts the number of homes using oil-fired heating systems at an estimated 1.7 million, and says HVO could cut net greenhouse gas CO2 emissions by 90% compared with oil1.
HVO is made from certified waste fats and oils, does not contribute to deforestation, and has been confirmed as sustainable by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, according to UKIFDA1. The national demonstration is being supported by the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) and the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) as part of the Future Ready Fuel campaign1. Mitchell & Webber is calling for government support for an industry-funded national project to demonstrate that HVO is a swift, cost-effective and sustainable alternative to oil1.
"The owners of these types of buildings face particular challenges as they look to decarbonise their heating. With our HVO conversion, each home is estimated to save an average of around five metric tonnes of CO2 per home each year."
The school taking part, Kehelland School, is 130 years old and, its headmistress said, is not as efficient as more modern buildings and could not have been re-insulated to the level needed for other solutions to work1. Mitchell & Webber also argues that rural properties often face high costs and disruption when converting to other renewable heating systems1.
Why it matters for households
For homes off the gas grid, oil-fired heating is common, and the government's proposals would change what can replace it. The Heat and Buildings Strategy published late last year contains a proposal that would prevent homes currently using oil-fired systems from replacing them with fossil-fuel solutions from as early as 20261. The Future Homes Standard requires that no new-build homes use gas boilers from 20251. For an oil-heated household, the practical question is what fuel and equipment can keep the home warm after those dates, and whether an existing boiler can be retained. The HVO conversions described here kept the existing appliances and changed the fuel, which is a different proposition from replacing a boiler or the whole heating system. The work was carried out by technicians; OFTEC registration is the industry's route for oil heating technicians. The costs of conversion, the price of HVO per litre and its availability outside Cornwall are not reported in the source.
What happens next
The UK government is consulting on policies and proposals aimed at reaching net-zero carbon emissions1. Mitchell & Webber says it is calling for government support for an industry-funded national demonstration project for HVO1. No decision, funding commitment or timetable for that project is reported in the source.