Home heating fuel supplier WCF is calling on households across rural Cumbria to have their say on the future of heating for off-grid homes.
The call comes as the Government’s Alternative Clean Heating consultation enters its final stages, with its conclusions aiming to reduce carbon emissions and guide the UK’s long-term home heating strategy.
With the consultation closing on February 10, households are being urged to share their views now to ensure rural needs and challenges are fully understood before decisions are made.
Around 1.7 million homes in the UK currently rely on kerosene heating oil to heat their homes, with the majority of properties in rural areas and off the gas grid.
Phil Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Brampton-based WCF, which delivers domestic heating oil and commercial fuel across Cumbria, said: “This is a real opportunity for people to influence future heating solutions so they reflect the reality of life in rural communities.
“By taking just a few minutes to respond, they can help ensure home heating options remain practical, affordable and genuinely flexible.”
With the consultation including proposals to shift many oil heated homes towards technologies such as heat pumps or heat networks, Phil said it was vital alternatives such as renewable liquid fuels were included as part of a low carbon solution.
“All viable options need to be considered or we risk limiting choice and leaving households facing high upfront costs or disruptive changes, especially in older or hard to-heat rural properties,” he said.
“The inclusion of renewable liquid fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) in the consultation is a major step forward. HVO offers a proven, low carbon solution that can be adopted now with minimal cost and little disruption for households.”
Phil is also president of UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA), the trade association for the liquid fuels distribution sector. UKIFDA is campaigning for renewable liquid fuels to be recognised within Government policy as a credible, practical alternative.
WCF operates one of the UK’s leading independent oil distribution networks, including Allan Stobart Lubricants and Fuels, which delivers fuels across Cumbria, Northumberland and south-west Scotland, WCF Fuels North West and WCF Chandlers. WCF serves communities from 12 storage depots across Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Humberside, Yorkshire, Northumberland, Lancashire and Cumbria. The company is a member of UKIFDA.
Responses to the Alternative Clean Heating consultation can be submitted at: https://futurereadyfuel.info/consultation-response/
