Finally, it feels like summer is here, yet our conversation about heating continues! The topic has again hit the national headlines, and the community heating project has news to share too. The feasibility study looking at a heat network for Grafham, Perry and Great Staughton is complete and the report is ready to share at a tri-village virtual meeting – 7.00pm, Thursday 15th July. Book a ticket or find the Zoom link by going to our website www.g0grafham.co.uk
The UK’s ‘Just Transition’ and our Villages!
The future of gas and oil boilers has become a topic of speculation in newspapers and headlines. For over a decade, the UK has enjoyed an incentivised approach for households to convert to renewable energy and heating but it is now likely that policy will turn from ‘carrot’ to ‘stick’ by March 2022. How can the UK build the infrastructure required to go green, without leaving some of the population behind, and struggling to pay bills? We need to deliver a “Just Transition” to green energy.
It is anticipated that converting homes to renewable heating solutions will cost up to £2bn. Communal heat networks have already been outlined as one important solution with £270m earmarked to deliver this type of technology, which delivers heat to each home from a local energy centre. There is also a Clean Heat Grant, which would provide up to £4,000 to individual households supporting changes to renewable solutions.
Your Parish Councils, with the help of experts in the field, are looking at these emerging funds to try and see that no one is left behind by the future changes. Other communities throughout the country are also seeking a solution that works for them, such as Barcombe, Swaffham Prior and Outwood, and Stithians. We are contacting these other villages, to share learning and advice on developing a project.
The feasibility report evaluates the potential of a heat network for each of the villages involved and suggests what type of renewable heating could be most suitable. The Parish Council’s project team (which includes some of our local engineers) have been putting the project engineers, Element Energy, through their paces to make sure this report gives a robust steer on the options available.
Please join us on Thursday 15th July at 7.00pm