TECHNOLOGY
For households , this also means they use less energy , which potentially is also a cost saving for them ,” explains Russell .
Heat pumps not only heat our homes and provide us with hot water , but they also reduce our use of carbon .
Government involvement is key Russell believes that Government intervention and collaboration are key , and that the following four measures will help support consumers and businesses in the transition to decarbonisation :
• Support , incentivise and encourage households to insulate their homes so as to use less energy . The government is well positioned to run public information campaigns to create greater awareness of the need to reduce energy demand and so lower household bills – insulating homes is a primary method of achieving that .
• Decouple the cost of electricity from gas and rebalance taxation away from green economy catalysts for the price of energy . While the price of electricity is pegged to the cost of gas , dependent upon its demand and supply , or open to weaponisation as is the case with war in Ukraine , it will remain at risk of continued price hikes that is not the making of its suppliers .
• Set a legally binding end date for installing all fossil-fired boilers ( not phasing out ). Following the government ’ s phase-out date for the installation of fuel fired boilers in all new build properties , the government should be definitive and set an enddate for their installation , whether that
78 April 2023