ASSOCIATION NEWS
Update:
PLUMBING & HEATING MAGAZINE PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO OFTEC IRELAND AND THE PROMOTION OF THE LIQUID FUEL INDUSTRY IN IRELAND…
Carbon TaxUpdate OFTECurgesNI Government to introduce biofuel in theNI Energy Strategy W ith the new Energy Strategy currently under review, OFTEC has also reiterated the need for a realistic approach to reduce emissions in the NI off-grid home heating sector. Liquid fuel homes make up 67.5% of the total housing stock in Northern Ireland, most of which have low thermal efficiency and therefore are not suitable for heat pumps without huge costs. This is particularly important given predictions regarding financial recovery from the current Covid-19 pandemic. Modern heating appliances are biofuel blend compatible and OFTEC highlights that a biofuel combination is the least costly and least disruptive way of achieving sustainability. OFTEC believes driving down end costs for consumers is critical to achieving high take up and ensuring the transition to net zero heat is fair and available to all. T he tax on home heating oil was increased from May, 1, 2020, due to the increase in ROI carbon tax from €20 - €26/tonne. The tax on kerosene goes up from 5.073cpl to 6.574cpl and on gas/oil, up from 5.492cpl to 7.042cpl. The actual cost to the consumer is effectively €33 on 500 litres and €59 on 900 litres of kerosene. Despite the massive decrease in retail oil cost, it is still worthwhile talking to your customers about the potential savings to be made by adding energy efficiency measures and upgrading to a condensing boiler.
OFTEC reiterates need for affordableClimateActionPlan
O FTEC is urging the Irish Government to scrap their unrealistic plans to install 600k heat pumps in favour of implementing a more affordable plan to reduce carbon emissions within the off-grid home heating sector. The Department of Public Expenditure Secretary General raised concerns that the current Government plan to retrofit 500,000 homes to a high energy standard by installing 600,000 heat pumps was ‘not affordable’. OFTEC has already highlighted flaws in this ideology to DCCAE and the majority of TDs, reinforcing the need to implement a fair, efficient methodology to tackling climate action in homes. It stresses the need for one that is affordable and realistic for the 686,000 homes in Ireland’s off grid
heating sector David Blevings, OFTEC
Ireland Manager, commented: “Asking households to invest as much as €50k to retrofit their home is completely unrealistic, with only small grants available, equating not even to a tenth of this overall cost. Over 90% of off-grid properties are below BER C1 in Ireland, meaning that these properties are not suitable to move to heat pumps without significant upgrade, mass disruption and expense.” In line with this, OFTEC proposes the introduction of a sustainable biofuel option for homes, utilising existing heating equipment currently used in households. This would involve the introduction of a blended biofuel to immediately reduce carbon emissions, with the aim of supplying a 100% sustainable liquid fuel by 2035.
David Blevings, OFTEC Ireland Manager on T: +44 (0)28 9186 2916 Sean McBride, Ireland Representative on T: +44 (0)7540 502 304 (NI) or +353 (0)87 241 7041 (RoI) www.oftec.org
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