The committee's chairman, Darren Jones, said replacing gas boilers, the major source of pollution from homes, was "a huge task and we are not making near enough progress". The report urges the government to do more to explain to the public the changes they will be facing, including the potential costs and benefits.
Maybe the public has seen the potential costs and decided they don't outweigh the benefits? If that's the case, then nothing the government will do will work...
Mr Jones said the government should also replace the failed Green Homes Grant – the scheme providing financial support for people to insulate their homes.
“Ministers can’t simply leave this to the market – the government should tackle the cost of heating our homes in the round and bring forward joined-up policies that address these issues together,” he said.
When a government wonk claims that something 'can't be left to the market', hold on tight to your wallet; it means they are pushing something they know people don't want and won't accept.
“For most people, your boiler is probably the most environmentally damaging thing that you own,” said Nesta's Andrew Sissons.
And people won't care, so long as the alternative is worse.
Depends on the boiler. The current condensing boilers are very efficient. The most environmentally damaging thing I used to own was a (well insulated) hot water tank. My present boiler is a combi one which makes hot water only on demand. The effect on gas bills was dramatic. I hadn't realised how much gas used to be burned simply to keep the hot water hot.
ReplyDeleteWe changed our boiler barely five years ago, and I am damn sure we aren't going through that again anytime soon!
Delete"bring forward joined-up policies"
ReplyDeleteAlarm bells, red flags, klaxons going off.
"gas boilers, the major source of pollution from homes,"
ReplyDeleteWhat absolute tosh. This lie is only achieved by defining 'plant food' as 'pollution'.
Abolish THIS 'pollution' and we abolish plants.
These policy wonks should learn to walk before they run. In this case doing joined up writing before trying joined up policies.
ReplyDeleteSo what other pollution comes from your home?
ReplyDeleteYour breath? Your burning food? Flatulence?
So once they fix the heating pollution they will go after the others.
But Drax will still be burning forests imported from USA. But that is Green.
They'll be banning baked beans next.
ReplyDeleteDon't give them ideas!
Delete