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careful communication. While the
exact role hydrogen may play in THE FUTURE GAS SERIES
heating is uncertain, it is likely it will
have some part in the future energy
system. In the last few months, the
Committee on Climate Change has
suggested hydrogen might be used just
as a top-up to meet peak heat demand,
while the H21 project has published a
plan for converting entire cities to 100
per cent hydrogen for heating.
Hydrogen is an unfamiliar
substance and, beyond an association
with the Hindenburg disaster,
research by the Committee on
Climate Change has shown the public
has a low awareness of hydrogen as
a fuel and the need for a transition to
low carbon heat more generally.
This means that preferences and
attitudes towards hydrogen will be THE FUTURE GAS SERIES is a and places of work, as well as
heavily influenced by how information three-part research inquiry exploring ethical and safety considerations,
on it is communicated. the opportunities and challenges particularly concerning perceptions
Public engagement, public consent associated with using low carbon around the use of hydrogen as a
and communication strategies will all gas to reduce the UK’s greenhouse source of heat and how vulnerable
be explored in Carbon Connect’s third gas emissions. customers can be protected during
and final inquiry in the Future Gas Natural gas currently meets a transition.
Series, sponsored by IGEM, Baxi and about two thirds of the domestic The inquiry will also investigate
the Energy and Utilities Alliance energy demand in the UK, and is the economic and technical
(EUA). Alongside other issues, the particularly important in domestic implications of converting or
inquiry will need to look at how the heat, where it provides nearly 80 replacing appliances to use low
industry can ensure vulnerable per cent of demand. carbon gas, how a large-scale
consumers are protected and how it Switching UK heating systems transition might be delivered,
can build up appliance supply chains. away from natural gas is one of the whether there are lessons to be
Neil Atkinson, CEO of IGEM, said: most significant challenges in a learned from other sectors and how
“IGEM is proud to be supporting the transition to low carbon heat. this might be paid for.
Future Gas Series, not least at this The Future Gas Series draws on The the work will be overseen by
critical stage in which we’ll be recent and ongoing work parliamentary co-chairs Dr Alan
seeking out ways to put consumers attempting to identify the Whitehead MP, Labour Member of
at the heart of any efforts to contribution low carbon gas can Parliament for Southampton Test,
decarbonise heat. make to decarbonising the UK James Heappey MP, Conservative
“IGEM believes that greening our energy system, and develops Member of Parliament for Wells
gas system through hydrogen, practical steps to deploy them and Alan Brown MP, SNP Member
biomethane and BioSNG is the best where they are likely to be valuable. of Parliament for Kilmarnock and
way to solve the energy trilemma, Part 1: Next Steps for the Gas Grid Loudoun and a steering group of
making use of a world class detailed the issues related to the relevant experts.
infrastructure asset currently used to gas distribution network and the The inquiry will involve
heat 85 per cent of UK homes. potential to repurpose it to use low representatives from Cadent, Citizens
“However, any solution carries with carbon gas. Part 2: The Production Advice, the Committee on Climate
it a cost to the consumer, without of Low Carbon Gas considered the Change, Energy Systems Catapult,
whose support our ambitions to different production technologies, Energy Saving Trust, the University of
decarbonise heat will surely fail. It is their sources and feedstocks, and Cardiff, the University of East Anglia,
essential that we keep bills to a issues related to the bulk transport the University of Oxford and the
minimum and that we consider and storage of gas. University of Edinburgh. ■
carefully those consumers who are The final part in the series will
likely to be adversely affected by any examine downstream issues relating ■ Carbon Connect is urging
sweeping changes to the way we heat to the role of the consumer in organisations across the heating
our homes and businesses. decarbonising gas in the UK. It aims industry to submit evidence to the
“It is imperative that we address not to look at consumers’ attitudes inquiry. For more information visit
just the technical considerations of towards heat, the acceptability of www.policyconnect.org.uk/cc/
adapting appliances to new sources of different decarbonisation methods, news/carbon-connect-launches-
fuel, but also how acceptable those how open they might be to call-evidence-future-gas-series-
changes will be to consumers and accepting changes to their homes part-3-consumer-and-appliance
whether our goals are realistic.” ■

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