Member Article

How can businesses come together to convert the UK's worst energy offenders: oil heaters

The UK has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions significantly in recent years, but there is still much more work that should be done. Approximately 31% of total carbon emissions come from our homes. This shocking statistic should be enough to encourage homeowners and energy users to cut back and change to cleaner, renewable sources.

In the UK, 4% of households still rely on oil to heat their homes. This may seem relatively insignificant, but equating to 1.1 million households, contributing significantly to air pollution levels, it is not something we can turn a blind eye to.

Keith Bastian, CEO of renewable energy supplier Outfox the Market and electric home heating provider Fischer Future Heat, explains the detrimental effects of oil pollution and how businesses can come together to convert the UK’s worst energy offenders.

In the UK, those that rely on oil for energy are in the minority, however this is still a relatively high number of households, contributing to levels of air pollution.

And, despite new build homes continuing to fill gaps of land across the country, with cleaner more sustainable methods of home energy incorporated, many people and homeowners are seeking older, traditional homes with plenty of character.

Currently, there seems to be an increasing preference in the housing market for Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian housing. In fact, 82% of Brits would prefer a period property over a new build, according to research. Although these homes may meet appealing design aesthetics, they can come with incredibly outdated heating systems. Typically these homes have oil heating, which are incredibly damaging for the environment, with oil remaining one of the UK’s top three pollutants.

Oil Pollution: Affecting the Environment and our Health

Fossil fuels such as coal and gas, and their negative impact on the environment get plenty of airtime, however we don’t hear too much about the effects of oil, even though this too, it is a fossil fuel.

Just because it is less commonly used within homes, it doesn’t mean it is any less damaging. In fact, oil can pollute streams, rivers and even groundwater. Toxic and harmful, oil pollution can affect the UK’s drinking supply as well as the environment.

But with current build homes currently outside of regulations to swap to newer, more renewable heating systems, what more can be done to switch consensus and help owners make a cleaner energy change?

Helping the Rural Areas Make the Switch

Rural areas around the UK have been found to have the highest proportion of oil-heated homes. There are towns and villages across the UK that are almost entirely dependent on oil as their source of energy. Rural areas in Scotland, the East of England and the South West have been typically identified as having a large proportion of oil-heated homes.

But it comes down to a question of infrastructure and whether an area has the facility to make such changes.

Those in high-powered positions must put the wheels in motion to enable towns and villages to utilise renewable sources of energy. If they aren’t there, how can we expect homeowners to make such drastic changes, without the support of those with the ability to make a change?

Ingrained attitudes and aesthetic and lifestyle choices can be hard to shift, but there are options available. With the right kind of support from energy suppliers, institutions and local organisations, homeowners will have plenty of encouragement. Some examples of changes that can make a difference are:

• Connecting to the gas grid • LPG boiler • Air source heat pump • Ground source heat pump • Biomass boiler • Electric heating

I would encourage now is the time for unique focus to be placed on converting the UK’s worst energy offenders.

We must work together to tackle climate change and air pollution, and with support from the government, tackling infrastructure and attitudes, this will become easier than ever.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Fischer Future Heat .