Biofuels, such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), are a low-carbon fuel that could help hundreds of thousands of homes transition to more sustainable heating. Achieving Net Zero and reducing carbon emissions will require multiple approaches and here at Grant UK, we believe that biofuels can play a part in helping decarbonise home heating.
There are 1.5 million homes which are currently using kerosene oil for their space heating and hot water. While many homes have made the successful transition from an oil boiler to an air source heat pump, for a significant proportion of households, their properties are not currently suitable for electric heating. For these hard-to-heat homes, which lose a lot of heat and where a heat pump may not be suitable or feasible, converting from kerosene oil to a biofuel could significantly lower their carbon footprint with minimum disruption.
Research into biofuels has been taking place for many years. Grant UK has been involved in the field trails organised by OFTEC which has been researching the use of more sustainable, waste derived low carbon liquid fuels and testing these in Grant boilers, enabling them to be biofuel compatible. The breakthrough came in 2020, during the testing of boilers successfully using a 100% biofuel known as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). The use of HVO at 100% (which results in a reduction in carbon emissions of up to 88%, SAP 10.2) will allow rural and hard-to-heat homes to transition to a renewable, green alternative from 100% kerosene. All of Grant's floor standing Vortex oil boilers are HVO compatible.
Further information about these trials can be found here.
HVO biofuel is a low carbon liquid fuel which can be used as a 'drop-in fuel' to replace kerosene oil. HVO is made from sources such as used cooking oils or from crops such as rapeseed. To help homeowners understand more about this low carbon liquid fuel, please visit Grant UK's YouTube channel to watch a video which provides an introduction to HVO and how it can be used in a home heating system.
Visit Grant UK's YouTube Channel to watch a Homeowner's Guide to HVO.
At present, biofuels are not included in the Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy but we believe they should be. It is estimated that the typical cost to convert an existing oil-heated home to HVO is likely to be less than £500 and it will offer an immediate 88% reduction in carbon emissions (SAP 10.2). This is why Grant UK believes that biofuels should be included, alongside heat pumps, in the Government’s approach to decarbonising home heating because they can provide a cost-effective low carbon heating solution when an electric heating solution is not possible.
To encourage the Government to consider biofuels and their important position in the transition to Net Zero, installers and engineers can write an open letter to their local MP or to BEIS directly. A template letter can be downloaded here.
The conversation around HVO biofuels is growing, as is the interest. If they are included in the Strategy and given Government support, HVO biofuels will give consumers choice and fairness by providing those homes, which cannot be easily converted to heat pumps, with a low carbon alternative. Provided below are links to additional resources on biofuels:
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