Nine in ten homes living off the gas grid are concerned that the government's green heating proposals treat them unfairly, according to a survey published on 11 April 2023 by the Future Ready Fuel campaign on behalf of the trade associations UKIFDA and OFTEC1. The findings were released ahead of the expected publication of the government's response to its Heat and Buildings Strategy consultation, which proposed ending the installation of fossil fuel heating systems in off-gas-grid homes from 2026 and in businesses from 20241.
The survey covered 1,500 UK homes on oil heating, with responses gathered in March 20231. It found that more than 95 per cent wanted a greater choice of low carbon heating solutions, and more than 96 per cent wanted to decide which green heating system they install rather than the government1. Some 88 per cent said the government's current low carbon heating solutions are too expensive for them1.
Support for heat pumps among respondents was less than 8 per cent, even though 95 per cent said they were keen to go green and reduce their carbon emissions1. In contrast, more than 88 per cent of oil-heated respondents said they wanted the option of keeping their boiler but switching to a renewable liquid fuel such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), which the announcement says reduces emissions by nearly 90 per cent following a simple low cost conversion1.
Ken Cronin, chief executive of UKIFDA, said:
"Two major themes from this survey are fairness and choice and it's important rural communities have solutions which are affordable with minimal disruptions. Transitioning to low carbon heating must not be made at the expense of poor outcomes for consumers."
Paul Rose, chief executive of OFTEC, said heat pumps have an important role but not every property is suitable, adding that oil-heated homes tend to be older buildings with poor insulation and low energy efficiency1. He said nearly 150 oil properties have already been converted to HVO as part of a demonstration project1.
| Survey finding | Share of respondents |
|---|---|
| Concerned green heating proposals treat off-gas-grid homes unfairly | 90% |
| Want a greater choice of low carbon heating solutions | over 95% |
| Want to decide which green heating system they install | over 96% |
| Say current low carbon heating solutions are too expensive | 88% |
| Keen to go green and reduce carbon emissions | 95% |
| Support for heat pumps | less than 8% |
| Want the option of keeping their boiler and switching to HVO | over 88% |
Why it matters for households
For homes off the gas grid, the practical question is what can be installed, at what cost, and whether an existing system can be adapted rather than replaced. The survey points to a gap between willingness to cut emissions, which 95 per cent of respondents expressed, and appetite for the technology the government has favoured, with heat pump support below 8 per cent1. Cost is central: 88 per cent described current low carbon solutions as too expensive1.
The proposal to end fossil fuel heating installations in off-gas-grid homes from 2026 sets the timetable that rural households are reacting to1. For a household weighing up a renewable liquid fuel conversion, the claim of a nearly 90 per cent emissions reduction rests on the conversion being low cost and the fuel being available, neither of which is settled by the survey alone. The number of properties converted to HVO so far, nearly 150, is described as a demonstration project1.
What happens next
The government's response to the Heat and Buildings Strategy consultation had not been published at the time of the announcement1. No date for that response is given in the announcement. The proposals it covers would end fossil fuel heating installations in off-gas-grid homes from 2026 and in businesses from 20241.