Opinion
What will the election
mean for the RHI?
With the country set to go to the polls early next month, the prospect of a new
government will not halt the move to low carbon heating, says Robert Burke,
HETAS
n just over a month we will
get our chance to choose
the next government in the
general election scheduled for
07 May. Traditionally the run
up to an election can be an uncertain time.
Will a new government change policies?
What will happen to existing schemes like
the Renewable Heat Incentive? However,
this time things feel more certain for many
reasons.
Now that the RHI and MCS schemes
are established and proving successful,
particularly for biomass, it seems unlikely
that major changes will put that at risk.
Both seem to be supported by politicians
across the board, and 12 months after
the launch of the domestic scheme it is
helping both the domestic and the more
established commercial sectors to reduce
carbon emissions by turning to renewable
technologies and sustainable biomass fuels.
I
It seems unlikely that major
changes will put RHI and
MCS at risk
It’s this point which is crucial, as the
UK is failing to meet targets for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions. Over the last
couple of years the drive to reduce UK carbon
emissions has stalled, partly due to the
use of cheap coal rather than gas in power
18 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
generation. Furthermore the number of cavity
wall insulations – one of the most effective
ways to cut energy use - has declined
drastically after changes to the Green Deal
made the scheme less financially attractive for
homeowners.
At the moment it’s predicted that the
UK will cut carbon dioxide emissions by only
about 21 percent to 23 percent from 2013 to
2025, compared with the government’s own
targets of a reduction of 31 percent over the
same period. Which is why schemes like the
domestic and commercial RHI are vital for
those sectors.
In a further complication, the UK will
miss targets set for reducing air pollution
and reducing NOx emissions. Whilst the
main cause of higher NOx is transport, there
is a small contribution from heating. The
European commission recently launched
legal proceedings against the UK for failing to
reduce excessive levels of air pollution, which
could result in fines of up to £300m per year.
We are not alone – other European countries
have also failed to meet the air quality
directive which should have been adopted in
2008. But Britain has been singled out by the
EU for persistent breaches of the directive to
force the government to bring air quality up
to scratch.
Although it’s very difficult to predict post
election policy, any scheme such as RHI has
a major part to play in meeting our targets
for reducing carbon emissions and improving
air quality. HETAS is heavily involved with
both these issues, and lobbies at both UK and
European government levels to promote and
protect the solid fuel and biomass industry.
Whatever the outcome on 07 May, this is
something that HETAS will strive to continue.