UK
Hydrogen not a realistic replacement for natural gas, warn LordsMatt Oliver
THE TELEGRAPH
Tue, February 21, 2023
Hydrogen
Heating millions of homes with hydrogen instead of natural gas is unrealistic, peers have warned, telling ministers to focus on promoting heat pumps instead.
In a sharply-critical report, a House of Lords panel on Wednesday accused the Government of undermining the national rollout of heat pumps with confusing “mixed messages” about unproven alternatives.
Mass adoption of heat pumps is a key plank of the plan to reach “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050. The devices raise the temperature in people's homes by absorbing the heat from outside and compressing it.
The Government wants to see 600,000 heat pumps installed each year by 2028, compared to around 35,000 today. However, uptake has so far been slow, with many people put off by high upfront costs.
The Lords environment and climate change committee said the Government was undermining its own target with an ongoing review into whether hydrogen-powered boilers could be used for home heating. The review is “negatively affecting” demand for heat pumps, peers said, by sowing uncertainty.
Baroness Parminter, chairman of the Lords environment committee, told The Telegraph: “In heat pumps we've got a mature technology now, where there aren't any issues around safety. So why focus on hydrogen for home heating?
“The mixed messages around hydrogen are compromising the [Government’s] ability to get heat pumps into homes.”
Uncertainty over whether heat pumps or hydrogen were the solution has left plumbers and other businesses unsure of which technologies to commit to, the Baroness added.
Production of hydrogen is energy-intensive and it is unclear whether there will be enough supplies to serve millions of homes, Baroness Parminter said.
“Frankly, hydrogen is not a serious option in the short to medium term.”
The findings come after MPs warned in December that hydrogen was only likely to play a “limited role” in home heating and was “not a panacea”.
Under plans unveiled by Boris Johnson, Britain will ban the installation of new gas boilers from 2035.
Homeowners have been offered vouchers worth £5,000 each towards the cost of installing heat pumps, with ministers hoping this will spur widespread demand and help manufacturers bring down costs.
However, peers said the so-called boiler upgrade scheme was “seriously failing”.
Public apathy has left two thirds of the scheme’s £150m first year budget unused, with less than 10,000 of 30,000 available vouchers issued.
Peers said this was because heat pumps remained too expensive for most households – costing £7,000 in some cases even after the grant – and the Government had failed to advertise the scheme properly.
Promoting hydrogen-ready boilers as a possible alternative has also convinced some home owners there is little point in switching.
On Tuesday the Government said it planned to launch a marketing campaign to promote its heat pump vouchers.
Although ministers expect most households to adopt heat pumps in the long-run, critics argue they often require expensive home adaptations such as insulation.
The Energy and Utilities Alliance, which represents boiler manufacturers and some heat pump makers, estimates that up to 12 million homes may be unsuitable for heat pumps.
Mike Foster, chief executive of the Energy and Utilities Alliance, accused peers of being out-of-touch and “doubling down on a flawed policy”.
He added: “The committee is right to suggest there is a high level of misinformation around hydrogen, by publishing highly misleading conclusions around hydrogen.
“The Government’s plans for hydrogen-ready boilers are a no regrets option going forward, helping households decarbonise their homes without the £13,000 upfront cost of a heat pump.”
Industry groups Hydrogen UK and Energy UK warned against a “one size fits all policy” for home heating.
Hydrogen UK said: “A balanced approach between electrification and hydrogen, through the deployment of hydrogen distribution infrastructure, hydrogen boilers and hybrid hydrogen heat pumps, would mitigate these peaks and could bring significant system cost savings compared to pure electrification.”
Tue, February 21, 2023
Hydrogen
Heating millions of homes with hydrogen instead of natural gas is unrealistic, peers have warned, telling ministers to focus on promoting heat pumps instead.
In a sharply-critical report, a House of Lords panel on Wednesday accused the Government of undermining the national rollout of heat pumps with confusing “mixed messages” about unproven alternatives.
Mass adoption of heat pumps is a key plank of the plan to reach “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050. The devices raise the temperature in people's homes by absorbing the heat from outside and compressing it.
The Government wants to see 600,000 heat pumps installed each year by 2028, compared to around 35,000 today. However, uptake has so far been slow, with many people put off by high upfront costs.
The Lords environment and climate change committee said the Government was undermining its own target with an ongoing review into whether hydrogen-powered boilers could be used for home heating. The review is “negatively affecting” demand for heat pumps, peers said, by sowing uncertainty.
Baroness Parminter, chairman of the Lords environment committee, told The Telegraph: “In heat pumps we've got a mature technology now, where there aren't any issues around safety. So why focus on hydrogen for home heating?
“The mixed messages around hydrogen are compromising the [Government’s] ability to get heat pumps into homes.”
Uncertainty over whether heat pumps or hydrogen were the solution has left plumbers and other businesses unsure of which technologies to commit to, the Baroness added.
Production of hydrogen is energy-intensive and it is unclear whether there will be enough supplies to serve millions of homes, Baroness Parminter said.
“Frankly, hydrogen is not a serious option in the short to medium term.”
The findings come after MPs warned in December that hydrogen was only likely to play a “limited role” in home heating and was “not a panacea”.
Under plans unveiled by Boris Johnson, Britain will ban the installation of new gas boilers from 2035.
Homeowners have been offered vouchers worth £5,000 each towards the cost of installing heat pumps, with ministers hoping this will spur widespread demand and help manufacturers bring down costs.
However, peers said the so-called boiler upgrade scheme was “seriously failing”.
Public apathy has left two thirds of the scheme’s £150m first year budget unused, with less than 10,000 of 30,000 available vouchers issued.
Peers said this was because heat pumps remained too expensive for most households – costing £7,000 in some cases even after the grant – and the Government had failed to advertise the scheme properly.
Promoting hydrogen-ready boilers as a possible alternative has also convinced some home owners there is little point in switching.
On Tuesday the Government said it planned to launch a marketing campaign to promote its heat pump vouchers.
Although ministers expect most households to adopt heat pumps in the long-run, critics argue they often require expensive home adaptations such as insulation.
The Energy and Utilities Alliance, which represents boiler manufacturers and some heat pump makers, estimates that up to 12 million homes may be unsuitable for heat pumps.
Mike Foster, chief executive of the Energy and Utilities Alliance, accused peers of being out-of-touch and “doubling down on a flawed policy”.
He added: “The committee is right to suggest there is a high level of misinformation around hydrogen, by publishing highly misleading conclusions around hydrogen.
“The Government’s plans for hydrogen-ready boilers are a no regrets option going forward, helping households decarbonise their homes without the £13,000 upfront cost of a heat pump.”
Industry groups Hydrogen UK and Energy UK warned against a “one size fits all policy” for home heating.
Hydrogen UK said: “A balanced approach between electrification and hydrogen, through the deployment of hydrogen distribution infrastructure, hydrogen boilers and hybrid hydrogen heat pumps, would mitigate these peaks and could bring significant system cost savings compared to pure electrification.”
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