Residents on oil heating in Shropshire urged to have their say as 3,000 households respond to government heating plans
The 16,000 oil heated homes in Shropshire are being urged not to miss their chance to speak out after thousands of households across England responded to a government consultation on the future of home heating in just a few weeks.
More than 3,000 homes on oil heating have already made a submission to the government’s new ‘Alternative Clean Heating’ consultation which will determine the technologies people may be able to use to heat their home.
In the responses, households have been calling on the government to support renewable liquid fuels, such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), amid concerns over the potential costs of the alternative solutions on offer for oil heated homes.
The government’s current preference is for these homes off the gas grid to switch to heat pumps or heat networks. However, according to the consultation, for someone with an existing oil heating system the cost to switch to a heat pump is stated as £16,900.
For harder to treat buildings, it could be even higher. This means even with a £7,500 grant available through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, many households would still have to pay thousands more on top.
As a result, the so called ‘heat pump first’ approach is under increasing scrutiny as harder to treat homes will also need additional disruptive work, from added insulation to new radiators, for a heat pump to work effectively.
Recognising some of these challenges and the technical limitations, the government has invited households to share their views so they can explore alternative heating solutions, including renewable liquid fuels, as part of this new consultation.
The liquid fuel heating industry argues these renewable liquid fuels could be initially introduced as a blend with kerosene. This would work immediately in any existing oil boiler and significantly reduce emissions, without the need for any additional upfront cost and disruption. This approach has already been demonstrated across 150 properties as part of an industry demonstration project.
Industry trade associations OFTEC, which runs an off-grid registration scheme for technicians, and UKIFDA, which represents liquid fuel distributors, are submitting their evidence from these trials to the consultation.
As part of the Future Ready Fuel campaign, they are urging the number oil heated homes in county to also respond to the consultation to ensure they are given a choice of affordable and practical low carbon solutions.
OFTEC CEO Paul Rose and UKIFDA CEO Ken Cronin commented: “It’s very encouraging to see over 3,000 oil heated households have already responded to this new consultation in just a few weeks. This reflects the strength of feeling amongst homes on oil that they want affordable and practical solutions when it comes to switching to cleaner heating solutions.
“Current proposals often overlook the unique challenges of heating older properties, which those of us living in rural areas are all too aware of. We believe a fair transition must focus on choice and include options like renewable liquid fuels, which allow households to decarbonise without the stress of major building work or unmanageable costs.
“The good news is submitting your views is quick, easy, and free. With only a few weeks remaining before the consultation closes, we urge households across the county to take this opportunity to ensure their voices are heard.”
The Alternative Clean Heating Consultation closes on 10 February 2026.
For more information about the Future Ready Fuel campaign visit futurereadyfuel.info/consultation.
