OFTEC is urging the Irish Government to scrap their unrealistic plans to install 600k heat pumps in favour of implementing a more affordable plan to reduce carbon emissions within the off-grid home heating sector. The Department of Public Expenditure Secretary General raised concerns that the current Government plan to retrofit 500,000 homes to a high energy standard by installing 600,000 heat pumps was ‘not affordable’.
OFTEC has already highlighted flaws in this ideology to DCCAE and the majority of TDs, reinforcing the need to implement a fair, efficient methodology to tackling climate action in homes. It stresses the need for one that is affordable and realistic for the 686,000 homes in Ireland’s off grid heating sector.
David Blevings, OFTEC Ireland Manager, commented: “Asking households to invest as much as €50k to retrofit their home is completely unrealistic, with only small grants available, equating not even to a tenth of this overall cost. Over 90% of off-grid properties are below BER C1 in Ireland, meaning that these properties are not suitable to move to heat pumps without significant upgrade, mass disruption and expense.”
In line with this, OFTEC proposes the introduction of a sustainable biofuel option for homes, utilising existing heating equipment currently used in households. This would involve the introduction of a blended biofuel to immediately reduce carbon emissions, with the aim of supplying a 100% sustainable liquid fuel by 2035.
David Blevings, OFTEC Ireland Manager: +44 (0)28 9186 2916
Sean McBride, Ireland Representative: +44 (0)7540 502 304 (NI) or +353 (0)87 241 7041 (RoI)
www.oftec.org
