More than 12,000 homes on oil heating have made a submission to the government's Alternative Clean Heating consultation, the trade association OFTEC reported on 3 February 2026, with only days remaining before the exercise closes1. The consultation asks for feedback on the types of heating systems people should be able to use1.
OFTEC, which runs an off-gas grid registration scheme for heating technicians, said policymakers expect most homes on oil heating to switch to heat pumps, despite the consultation stating the cost could be £16,9001. For harder to treat homes requiring additional energy efficiency upgrades, the cost could be higher still, which OFTEC said means the £7,500 grant available through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme leaves a significant shortfall1. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the grant route for England; separate arrangements apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The government has asked for views on alternative solutions in the consultation1. OFTEC and UKIFDA, which represents liquid fuel distributors, have outlined how renewable liquid fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), one of the options being considered, could initially be introduced as a blend with kerosene1. OFTEC said this HVO blend would work seamlessly in the existing heating system, with no upfront cost or disruption, while dramatically reducing carbon emissions, and that recent surveys have found over 90% support for these fuels from oil heated homes1.
OFTEC CEO Paul Rose and UKIFDA CEO Ken Cronin commented:
"The government asked oil heated households for their views on the future of home heating and the response couldn't have been louder and clearer. To have reached 12,000 submissions with a few days still to go reflects the strength of feeling across rural parts of country."
"Households want to reduce their carbon emissions, but they rightly need a choice of solutions which are practical and affordable. With only days remaining until the consultation closes, we urge every oil heated household that hasn't yet spoken up to do so now. This is your final chance to ensure your voice is heard by policymakers."
The consultation's closing date is not given in the announcement, which says only that a few days remain1. No government response date has been reported1.
Why it matters for households
For a home off the gas grid, the consultation covers which heating systems can be installed and used, so its outcome shapes the options open to oil heated properties1. The figures cited put the practical question in money terms: a heat pump conversion is stated at £16,900, against a £7,500 grant, and higher where energy efficiency work is also needed1. The alternative put forward by the two trade bodies is a kerosene and HVO blend run through the existing system, which OFTEC says carries no upfront cost or disruption1. How such a blend would be priced, supplied and regulated is not set out in the announcement1. The wider process by which consultations of this kind become rules is covered in Energy Consultations: How Rules Are Proposed, Decided and Changed.
What happens next
The consultation closes within days of 3 February 20261. OFTEC said it expects a comprehensive and positive response from the government in due course, but no date has been reported1.