ERP’s report on The Transition to Low-Carbon Heat was published at an event on 11th October 2017. The report and slides from the meeting can be found here.

But it is not a simple choice: each option for heating our homes and businesses has challenges that could limit their deployment. A combination of options is likely to be required; no one option may not dominate, as natural gas currently does. Demand reduction will be an essential part of a cost-effective transition.

The scale of the challenge should not be underestimated. The social aspects are as challenging as the technical. The capital investment means the cost of heating will rise during the transition.

Timing is crucial. Preparations need to begin now, to inform the long investment cycles over the next 30 years.