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volumes for electricity generation,
but increase gas back-up capacity
requirements for when the wind doesn’t
blow and the sun doesn’t shine.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS
It’s doing the rounds on social media at
the moment, but we could be reducing
our gas demand by our boilers
operating more efficiently so that
condensing boilers actually condense.
We can help to do this by encouraging
heating engineers to reduce the
flow temperature of combi boilers
wherever possible while conducting
the annual service. We can also
consider our thermostat setting to
use less gas and check if a one-degree
drop is tolerable to the comfort
requirements of the household.

There’s a balance to achieve
to make sure our demands
for energy – when and where
we want it – are met in a
way that’s affordable and
compliant with a trajectory to
achieve net zero, while meeting
carbon budgets all along the
way to 2050

We should also be going full tilt on
getting no-brainer insulation through
easy lofts to top-up and easy wall
cavities to fill, which are currently
untouched. It’s unlikely that the deep
and hard measures can be delivered at
scale to make an impact this year – and
And although it hurts to say it, some are dust, or on their way to being such. they come with significant cost and
coal muscle will definitely be needed – New plans for renewable generation disruption that presents a willingness
that’s if the logistics of coal supply can assets won’t be here in time to help and affordability issue to implement.
be maintained and opened up enough next winter. But hurrying, by any Believe it or not, there’s plenty of
from secure sources to provide for the means possible, those with consent and schools with single glazing, including one
capacity of operational plants to come adequate supply chains that are ready down the road from me – it has brand new
into full swing. to build and connect to the electricity efficient boilers but an extremely leaky
Germany has a vast coal generation grid should definitely be in the mosaic fabric – it’s appalling. Local government
capacity and many coal mines, where of actions right now. needs access to money to get this kind of
the expansion of one mine recently And put wind first in any hurrying work scheduled this year.
involved the demolition of a cathedral. – it’s been a very windy start to 2022 Actions to add easy insulation and
Can the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and that’s helped limit the use of highly adjust boiler and heating controls will
and France creak their units to full priced gas. Solar is all well and good at also soften the blow slightly for the
throttle when needed? And on our own reducing gas demand in the daytime horrendous bill shock that households
doorstep, which of the UK’s plants can in the summer, and somewhat in the are facing from the start of April and with
be called into action for next winter? shoulder months of spring and autumn, the expected further rise later this year.
Can West Burton be persuaded to keep but it’ll do almost nothing to help out in As we learned from the recent housing
going? Can Drax be available? Can winter. Those campaigning for solar as report from the gas networks, published
Radcliffe-on-Soar take all four units the answer to our heat decarbonisation by EUA, the analysis suggests 7-10 million
through instead of the three apparently woes need a reality check. And let’s homes could be suitable for a heat pump
available via capacity auctions? Are not forget that with more intermittent without significant insulation measures,
any recently decommissioned plants generation that’s installed, more but may need heat distribution
reversable from retirement where back-up capacity is needed – and upgrades to pipework and radiators
demolition hasn’t started, like Fiddlers that’s met most easily with distributed and therefore have plastering and
Ferry, Cottam and Aberthaw? The rest gas engines. Renewables reduce gas redecoration to take into consideration.

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