What will happen to rural (off gas) heating options? What should I go for??

Phil3822

A quick read of the FAQ’s on the provided web pages show the following comment:
HVO, is a renewable liquid fuel made from certified waste fats and oils and manufactured by a synthesised process with hydrogen to create a greener, cleaner fuel.

The ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) confirms HVO is a sustainable fuel that is made from waste products or crops and doesn’t contribute to deforestation.

Of course if I had replaced my oil boiler for a heat pump I would not be reading into the detail of this but as it stands I will remain prepared for whatever happens, heat pump or HVO. I certainly know however as it stands the Government are less supportive of HVO so take it all with a pinch of salt and add it in only for wider consideration of this not yet fully formed topic. 

Reed_Richards

I find it hard to believe that all the chip shops (and commercial kitchens) create enough waste oil to power all the oil boilers in the UK so if there was much uptake of HVO I'm sure that they would have to resort to the "or crops" wiggle room in the ISC Certification.  See: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-9494901/Using-chip-fat-replace-fossil-fuel-cars-not-sustainable-says-report.html (okay this is about cars but the same must apply to heating oil).

dunstonh

Reed_Richards said:

I find it hard to believe that all the chip shops (and commercial kitchens) create enough waste oil to power all the oil boilers in the UK so if there was much uptake of HVO I'm sure that they would have to resort to the "or crops" wiggle room in the ISC Certification.  See: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-9494901/Using-chip-fat-replace-fossil-fuel-cars-not-sustainable-says-report.html (okay this is about cars but the same must apply to heating oil).

Oil only accounts for 4% of UK domestic heating.  So, I guess that is feasible if you assume every commercial kitchen recycled.    However,   I don't think it would be anywhere near feasible for cars.

Phil3822

Cars are a mostly done deal and the country are embracing EV as a future except for Long Haul lorries, this is why no ICE cars will be sold around 2030. Supposedly. The heating oil industry knows as EV increases the demand for HVO will decrease in the vehicle industry and therefore they can tap into that slice. The heating oil slice of cake is rather small so this could be a very viable option. The main part of the puzzle I cannot yet work out which stops me at the moment is the government are in full force supporting heat pumps and to a much lesser extent anything else. If heat pumps become as cost effective as oil for both installation and usage I will not mind. 

lohr500

Aside from the infrastructure issues, my biggest concern with a push to electric vehicles and electric heating is the future price of the electricity. Once the alternatives are removed, I can see the electricity industry pushing up pricing as customers have nowhere else to go. I am still to be convinced with today's consumer electricity and kerosene prices that an ASHP is more cost effective over its likely lifespan than a well set up condensing oil boiler.  
I guess there is also a danger that the Govt slap a large tax on heating oil in the future to level up any pricing differential and to "encourage" customers to migrate to electrical heating.

rp1974

Pretty much guaranteed that heating oil will become increasingly expensive up to the point of being as,if not more expensive than electricity.
Greenwashing by stealth,legislating to continue lining the coffers of those with vested interests.
As with the current and former Governments,of whatever flavour in this country the most important thing is being seen to be doing something whilst not actually doing anything much,really.

Reed_Richards

I've looked around for a PlanetSavingExpert and an associated forum but that must be some way off into the future.  The good thing about using a heat pump to heat your house is that it uses about 1/3 of the energy you would use otherwise; there has to be some virtue in that.  I can see wind turbines on the horizon when I look out my window; when they are powering my heat pump that has to be pretty darn green.  

matelodave

Reed_Richards said:

I've looked around for a PlanetSavingExpert and an associated forum but that must be some way off into the future.  The good thing about using a heat pump to heat your house is that it uses about 1/3 of the energy you would use otherwise; there has to be some virtue in that.  I can see wind turbines on the horizon when I look out my window; when they are powering my heat pump that has to be pretty darn green.  

They might have been even greener if they'd been manufactured in this country rather than being shipped in from abroad. Same with solar panels, not only are they made abroad they are using up valuable agricultural land as well.(except for those on rooftops)

Dont get me wrong, I'm all in favour but we certainly aren't getting anywhere near the benefit out of them that we could. We dont even own quite a few of them - https://orsted.co.uk/energy-solutions/offshore-wind/our-wind-farms

Mickey666

Phil3822 said:

A quick read of the FAQ’s on the provided web pages show the following comment:
HVO, is a renewable liquid fuel made from certified waste fats and oils and manufactured by a synthesised process with hydrogen to create a greener, cleaner fuel.

The ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) confirms HVO is a sustainable fuel that is made from waste products or crops and doesn’t contribute to deforestation.

Of course if I had replaced my oil boiler for a heat pump I would not be reading into the detail of this but as it stands I will remain prepared for whatever happens, heat pump or HVO. I certainly know however as it stands the Government are less supportive of HVO so take it all with a pinch of salt and add it in only for wider consideration of this not yet fully formed topic. 

Can anyone else see the nonsense contained within that statement by the ISCC?

Mickey666

Reed_Richards said:

I've looked around for a PlanetSavingExpert and an associated forum but that must be some way off into the future.  The good thing about using a heat pump to heat your house is that it uses about 1/3 of the energy you would use otherwise; there has to be some virtue in that.  I can see wind turbines on the horizon when I look out my window; when they are powering my heat pump that has to be pretty darn green.  

I think many are grasping at the heat pump 'straw' because it gives them something to feel good about. 

Yes of course anything that reduces consumption of almost anything is a good thing in theory, but if humanity's ecological footprint remains unsustainable even with renewable energy replacing fossil fuels then it's only a partial solution.

And there can be no partial solution for true sustainability - it's all or nothing.

The thing we're losing sight of is what sort of world, and environment, do we actually want to live in?  I'm sure we could destroy all the rainforest on the planet in pursuit of renewable vegetable oil (for example) to continue running our industries, but such discussions remind me of the old accusation often leveled at accountants etc - they know the price of everything but the value of nothing.