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Nord Stream 2 project’s gas pipeline halted by Germany after Russia invades Ukraine
Speeding up insulation work in UK homes and replacing gas boilers with air-source heat pumps will cut ties to Russian gas faster than expanding fossil fuel drilling in the North Sea, a new analysis has found.
According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), the UK currently meets around 4% of Russia’s gas needs, which is equivalent to £6m a day at recent wholesale prices.
But their analysis shows that an equivalent amount of energy demand could be eliminated in just five years (as early as 2027) through better insulation and the installation of electric heat pumps, which they say will help protect 6.5 million households from fluctuating oil prices Impact.
The price of petrol paid by Britons is determined by the international market, and the only way to ensure household costs fall is to use less petrol.
However, ECIU said the North Sea field proposed earlier this year would not cut costs for customers and would not come fully online until 2028, while Greenpeace said it would take an average of 28 years to seek new licenses for further new drilling Start production.
The analysis finds heat pumps will be on average £260 cheaper to run a year than gas boilers from April 2022 as gas prices soar, and the government’s new boiler upgrade programme, which will also launch in April, will be available for families wishing to use them Offer £5,000 to switch to heat pump.
All types of homes in the UK are suitable for heat pumps, and an estimated 9 million homes have a good level of thermal efficiency, so they can easily install a heat pump.
The research comes after Boris Johnson said the government was considering new North Sea drilling, with reports that up to six new sites could apply for permits.
Andrea Leadsom, a former minister for business, energy and industrial strategy, also said expanding drilling was still one of the options the government was considering.
She said: “Short-term energy measures, such as better, warmer homes, investing in heat pumps, increasing our use of offshore wind and capacity in the North Sea oil basin, can help us deal with the current energy situation. I believe that as governments seek to Strengthening our energy security, these and other options will be on the table.
“It is clear that Putin cannot continue to use the oil price weapon against us.”
Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, Head of Analysis at ECIU, said: “The net-zero path leads us to common-sense home insulation and clean, renewable, home-grown energy, which allows us to reduce our reliance on gas and oil in other countries such as Russia.
“This is a permanent solution, and the UK needs to embrace it with greater urgency if we are to truly achieve energy security.”
Dr Jan Rosenow, of the Regulatory Assistance Project, which aims to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy, said: “The massive rollout of energy efficiency and heat pumps is a clear response to high gas prices and reliance on gas.
“The government’s goals are ambitious, but not ambitious enough. As the Climate Change Commission has shown time and again, we can go faster and further and get rid of Russian gas by 2027.”
The study follows a report by the Climate Change Council, which warned that the UK government’s heating and building strategy “is not yet comprehensive or complete, and significant delivery risks remain”.
Rosie Rogers, head of energy at Greenpeace UK, said: “The UK will continue to waste money on expensive gas imports until our gas-guzzling households switch their fossil fuel habits. Recent weeks have shown that this is How flimsy and how important it is for us to change it.
The government must see fixing our cold, airy homes as the front line of our efforts to wean off natural gas and improve energy security.Filling the gaps highlighted by government advisers and providing additional support, particularly in home insulation and heat pumps, is what is needed at this moment.The Spring Statement provides the chance for the Prime Minister to answer the call and roll out an emergency energy package to get our country off natural gas as quickly as possible.”
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Nord Stream 2 project’s gas pipeline halted by Germany after Russia invades Ukraine
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