The group’s head of external affairs Isaac Occhipinti said: “A new UK heat policy is a necessity not a nice to have. We believe a new heat policy examining how a decarbonised gas grid could meet UK carbon reduction cost effectively is needed.
He pointed out that 85 per cent of homes are on the gas grid and the majority have a gas boiler. Heat policy to date, he argued, has “failed to convince the public” to choose an alternative and projections show it will be hard to make this change.
“An option that should be explored further is decarbonising the gas grid in the UK,” he said.
The EUA was responding to an Energy and Climate Change committee request for written submissions on which Government policies require scrutiny over the coming years.
Other recommended priorities from the group include support for industry and consumers in meeting the smart meter rollout deadline; a review of the case for strategic investment in long term gas storage for the UK; and examining ways to reduce carbon emmissions from the non-domestic market.
It also recommends a joint study by the Energy and Climate Change committee and the Transport committee into the use of gas in transport networks and a review of Decc subsidised schemes from 2010-15 looking at how these related to household income distribution.