The General Election, on 4th July, transformed the UK’s political landscape. Before the election, of the 100 constituencies with the most oil heating, 99 were held by the Conservatives.
Now, they only hold 42, and the party’s MPs no longer have influence over the decisions that affect our industry. That means much of OFTEC’s lobbying work must be refocussed.
What are the implications of the new Government for our industry?
The first thing to say is that the timing of the election was unhelpful to us; had the election been held later in the year our recent positive work, aimed at getting the consultation on a renewable liquid fuel obligation launched, may have reached fruition.
Labour’s manifesto and recent public statements give little away on what we should expect. There was no mention of off-grid heating, although a specific commitment not to force people to rip out their existing boiler was included. Ed Miliband, the new DESNZ minister, also stated he would scrap the Conservative-proposed 2035 boiler ban.
The King’s Speech on 17th July – which sets out the Government’s business programme – contained no plans on heat policy, but the announcement of a Bill to support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production is potentially helpful for the growth of HVO production.
It’s worth noting that a significant number of seats where oil heating is popular are now held by Labour MPs, but with slender majorities. This will be helpful for our ongoing policy engagement. Many are also now held by the Lib Dems and, with cross-party support built over the last year, we have strong foundations in place and our overarching renewable liquid fuels policy objectives are unchanged.
A joint letter from OFTEC and UKIFDA, signed by over 100 trade association members, has been sent to Ed Miliband, welcoming him to his new ministerial role and setting out the benefits of renewable liquid fuels such as HVO.
We also highlighted the challenges faced by off-grid households and how we can support the Government’s decarbonisation ambitions. We have also requested a meeting with Miatta Fahnbulleh, the new Minister directly responsible for clean heat.
The new Labour Government is already under considerable pressure to increase the rate of progress towards net zero. No doubt they will be receiving a lot of advice on what they should do, not least from their formal advisors the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
In their latest annual report, the CCC was critical of the previous Conservative Government’s decision to roll back the proposed ban on the installation of oil heating to 2035. Others within industry will also be making similar points, so it’s vital we present an alternative view.
What OFTEC is doing
On behalf of everyone in the oil heating industry, and our customers, OFTEC will be on the front foot with the new Government. We’ll be making a strong case for why renewable liquid fuels like HVO are needed. We’ll explain that decarbonisation can only happen if citizens buy in to the changes, and this is best achieved if they are fair, affordable and avoid disruption. HVO provides the necessary choice, and we have strong public support – over 88% of households in a recent survey wanted the option to use it – so we have a strong message for Labour: if you want to succeed in decarbonising heating, you’ll need our help.
Our lobbying next steps include:
- Engagement with newly-elected Labour and Lib Dem MPs in seats with high oil heating usage.
- Writing to DESNZ ministers to request meetings about the introduction of renewable liquid fuels.
- Engagement with supportive MPs around relevant Westminster debates.
- Attendance at the Labour conference in September where we are holding a fringe event.
- A drop-in event in Westminster for MPs in October.
- Engagement with Parliamentary committees, once their make-up has been announced.
- Ongoing contact with supportive Scottish and Welsh MPs/MSPs and MSs.
We would also like to get a senior Labour minister, or even Keir Starmer, down to Kehelland to view our HVO demonstration project, and to see first-hand what a popular and effective solution it is for oil-heated homes.
It’s going to be a busy autumn, so look out for updates in our e-news and future editions of Oil Installer!
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