New research from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has found that the UK government achieved just three out of ten major green commitments laid out in the 2022 British Energy Security Strategy.
The analysis found that the government is not on track to insulate the 450,000 homes in it’s green commitments, which would reduce energy waste and, therefore, the need to import foreign gas.
Also, despite committing to holding auctions to agree on new offshore wind farms annually, since the report, it has only managed to secure two new offshore wind farms and none at the last auction in 2023.
Although it increased and extended the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which led to a significant surge in applicants, the government delayed the Clean Heat Market Mechanism (CHMM), which provides boiler manufacturers with heat pump sales targets.
Drone image of pitched and flat roof solar install (Image: JT/Tanjent)
The CHMM was announced in December 2023 as a scheme that would require heat pump installations to make up 4% of boiler manufacturer sales in the first year, increasing to 6% in the mechanism’s second year.
The scheme’s implementation was initially scheduled for April 2024, but fears that the CHMM could be scrapped when reports of increasing gas boiler prices caused by a phantom boiler tax – said to be caused by the CHMM – surfaced earlier this year, causing its 12-month delay.
Read more: Current+
