According to a leaked document obtained by the DeSmog investigative journalism group and seen by the Guardian, lobbyists representing the gas boiler industry are working to delay the implementation of new government measures aimed at accelerating the adoption of heat pumps. This draft document indicates that a key gas boiler industry organization, the Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA), which has been critical of heat pumps and has advocated for hydrogen for home heating, is actively engaging in a two-year lobbying effort directed at both government and opposition parties.
The proposed government measures, part of the clean heat market mechanism consultation published in March, aim to enforce quotas for heat pump installations by fossil fuel boiler manufacturers from 2024, with penalties for failure to meet these targets. However, the EUA argues that the proposed targets are unattainable due to the short timeframe, manufacturing challenges, and potential fines, which the organization estimates could cost the UK industry around £300 million.
Mike Foster, the CEO of EUA, confirmed that the organization is seeking to postpone the implementation of the clean heat market mechanism until 2026, stating that the current proposals could lead to fines for gas boiler companies without providing the necessary mechanisms to facilitate increased heat pump sales.
The EUA, with assistance from the WPR Agency, a PR firm based in Birmingham, has also launched a media campaign highlighting potential difficulties with heat pump installations. EUA's members, including Cadent and major boiler manufacturers like Baxi and Wolseley, are closely associated with the gas boiler industry. The transition to heat pumps as the primary low-carbon heating source could fundamentally change their business model, though some of these companies have started to manufacture and install heat pumps as well.
The debate also extends to the use of hydrogen for home heating, which the EUA supports as an alternative to heat pumps. However, more than 40 studies have found hydrogen to be unsuitable for this purpose, due to cost, efficiency, safety concerns in the UK's gas networks, and high carbon emissions from current hydrogen sources.
Critics have accused EUA of trying to create confusion among consumers regarding the choice between heat pumps and hydrogen, potentially hindering the uptake of heat pump technology. The promotion of hydrogen for home heating is seen by some as an attempt by the gas industry to preserve its current business model. On the other hand, advocates for heat pumps argue that they will play a crucial role in reducing fossil fuel dependence and achieving net-zero emissions in buildings.