Boutique Hotelier reports it has been claimed that over 100,000 off-grid businesses will be unfairly penalised if government decarbonisation proposals to enforce electric heat technologies in rural areas go ahead.

In a move to decarbonise rural heating, the Government’s heat and buildings strategy plans to phase out fossil fuel heating systems in thousands of off-grid businesses and two million homes in England, from 2026 – nine years earlier than for those on England’s main gas grid. Instead, pubs, hotels and holiday properties that rely on traditional fuels such as heating oil and LPG, will be required to install electrified technologies which can have expensive up-front install costs, such as heat pumps, if their current system breaks down.

Trade association Liquid Gas UK, which represents companies in the liquified petroleum gas industry, say a blanket approach to the decarbonisation of rural heat fails to consider the complex needs of rural businesses.

Full article:

Boutique Hotelier - 100k rural businesses penalised by government’s decarbonisation plans

Farming UK - Farmers 'unfairly penalised' in government green heat plans

If you have an interest in the decarbonisation debate, you might also like to refer to the following three Rural Lens Reviews published by the Rural Services Network:

https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/rural-lens-review-heat-and-buildings-strategy

https://www.rsnonline.org.uk/net-zero-strategy-rural-lens

https://rsnonline.org.uk/through-a-rural-lens-sustainable-warmth