Decarbonisation was a key theme of OFTEC’s 2018 annual conference in June, which informed members and guests on the opportunities to reduce emissions from rural homes in support of the government’s Clean Growth Strategy. During the event, OFTEC’s CEO, Paul Rose, provided an overview of the current situation and reported on progress made since the launch of OFTEC’s two stage strategy to decarbonise off-grid homes 12 months earlier. OFTEC plans focus on an incentivised programme to upgrade the 400,000 old, inefficient oil boilers still in use across England and Wales. This would provide immediate carbon reduction wins of up to 20% per household and pave the way for a low carbon liquid fuel as soon as it becomes available. OFTEC has lobbied MPs, policy makers and other stakeholders to explain the advantages of this approach and highlight the practical difficulties and potential cost to rural consumers of other decarbonisation options.

The new ECO3 legislation, which comes into force on 1 October 2018, will allow limited oil boiler delivery to take place.