Two cross-party inquiries by MPs into how the country’s homes and buildings are heated have been launched.
The reports will be led by Carbon Connect, a policy discussion forum established by Labour leader Ed Miliband in 2009.
The Future Heat Series will focus on identifying impending policy challenges and building momentum to for early action to address them.
“Heat has often overlooked when considering energy policy, so having a major piece of work which looks at the future of heat is very welcome,” said Jonathan Reynolds MP, inquiry co-chair and Labour shadow energy minister.
“The Future Heat Series inquiries will examine the key transformations likely to be needed in the way we heat our homes and buildings and begin debating the policy implications,” he added.
Heat accounts for more than half of the UK’s energy consumption but is a poorly understood area, according to Carbon Connect.
“Eighty-three percent of our homes are heated by gas and a third of our greenhouse gas emissions come from heat. This is a policy area full of challenges and ripe with opportunities,” said Dan Byles MP, Conservative member of the energy and climate change select committee.
“It is really important that we have political consensus on long term energy and climate change policy, and that is why the Future Heat Series is such a healthy initiative,” said Byles.
The two inquiries will culminate in reports published in Autumn 2014 and early 2015.
The launch of the domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) last month could help drive more renewable heat installations in Britain’s homes, however a readers’ poll by SPP suggests the industry is evenly split between enthusiasm, caution and outright scepticism.
