It’s encouraging to see the UK Government making continued progress in reducing carbon emissions. The latest recommendations from the CCC outline a clear and credible pathway to accelerate delivery of the 2030 targets, provided urgent action is taken.
The UK is experiencing the impacts of global warming, including record temperatures this year. Also, people continue to face high energy bills due to our reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets. With these in mind, the case for upgrading homes and accelerating the rollout of low carbon technologies, including heat pumps, has never been stronger.
The UK Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan will play a central role in driving this to further advance progress, particularly if delivered quickly and at scale.
As echoed by the CCC, expanding access to low carbon technologies, such as heat pumps and solar panels, will help to cut emissions. They’ll also strengthen energy security, protect people from future energy price shocks and reduce bills in the long term.
However, as the CCC recognises, further detail is needed, especially on:
- The future of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme.
- Expanding access to attractive green finance for all households.
- Rebalancing energy costs so that electricity costs less relative to than gas.
The UK Government must continue its momentum on the Warm Homes Plan to avoid any slowdown in progress.