Dear editor,

I am writing in response to your article in the Somerset County Gazette, Bridgwater Mercury and Chard and Ilminster News, titled 'Nearly half of Somerset homes not suitable for heat pumps', to highlight a significant concern for many rural homeowners.

A heat-pump first approach to reducing the carbon emissions of rural heating could place an unnecessary significant financial burden on homeowners, not only in Somerset, but countrywide.

These off-grid, rural properties are often older and more difficult to heat.

Research indicates the true cost of retrofitting a heat pump in these homes can be up to £32,000 once energy efficiency measures are considered.

Not only that, but government research itself has found one in five off-grid rural homes are simply not suitable for a heat pump.

A one-size-fits-all solution isn’t the answer.

Instead, we need a range of low-carbon fuels and technologies to support rural homeowners through the green energy transition.

Although not so well known to consumers, renewable liquid gases offer a 90 per cent carbon reduction compared to traditional fuels, are produced by utilising waste materials, and are a ‘drop-in’, flexible alternative to fuels such as LPG.

By adopting a more inclusive approach, including renewable liquid gases, we can reduce carbon emissions from household heat and keep costs down for rural homeowners.

At a time when many people are struggling with the cost of living and 95 per cent* of rural homeowners say that it’s a cost they can’t afford, there is a way to reach the country’s sustainability goals, without leaving rural homeowners substantially out of pocket.

Yours sincerely,

George Webb

CEO, Liquid Gas UK