Insight

Future Ready Fuel Campaign

OFTEC and UKIFDA’s Future Ready Fuel campaign has continued to make progress throughout the summer. The campaign began in May 2021 with the launch of a dedicated website www.futurereadyfuel.info and an accompanying digital marketing campaign was rolled out in August 2021.

OFTEC and UKIFDA Future Ready Fuel Campaign
2 min read

The website has achieved significant visitor growth since it was launched.

A more user-friendly design was introduced in July 2022, and a review of content is currently in progress. Usage has increased significantly since March, which is clearly due to the more direct messaging style we now use, based on the Government’s own proposals for off-gas grid decarbonisation.

Astonishingly, some visitors to the site have accused us of exagerrating, or even lying about the Government’s plans – it comes as quite a shock when they discover that what we’re saying is true! In total, well over 130,000 users have now visited the website, but what really matters is conversions – campaign jargon for people actually doing something as a result of their visit.

Here we’re seeing lots of good results – as shown in the table below – and something we are really pleased about.

* Other actions include clicking links to the Heat & Buildings Strategy, the consultation phase that followed, and OFTEC and UKIFDA’s industry response.

It means we have active supporters for our plans to introduce HVO, who are taking our message to MPs and, hopefully, telling others to do the same.

The Future Ready Fuel consumer survey has been useful because it provides us with lots of useful data on the views of liquid fuel heating users and their concern about the Government’s decarbonisation plans.

For example:

  • 87% of respondents would choose to convert their existing boiler to
  • renewable liquid, while just 6% would choose to install an air source heat pump.
  • 89% of respondents are concerned that off-grid properties will be treated unfairly under the Government’s current heating plans.
  • 95% believe there should be a greater choice of affordable heating technologies available to households.

We use the data to support our ongoing campaign messaging, including the letters we write to MPs.

Please help us – add your voice to the campaign

With a General Election no more than two years away (and possibly much sooner) rural MPs will be concerned about any policies that are unpopular, and likely to support ideas that enable progress to be made with decarbonisation that aren’t costly or disruptive. HVO ticks the right boxes and a letter from you would really help our campaign – and could ensure the long-term future of the liquid fuel heating industry.

In the December e-news, OFTEC provided a template letter for you to send, and a link to find your MPs contact details. It’s very easy to do, and sending the letter will take no more than five minutes. If you haven’t already done so, please do it today!

This article originally appeared in the 2022 winter issue of Oil Installer magazine. View the magazine