Ministers should launch a national campaign to recruit an army of plumbers and heat installers as ‘Climate Heroes’ cutting Britain’s dependence on imported gas, a renowned global think-tank, Social Market Foundation (SMF) has reported.
The Social Market Foundation said that the United Kingdom (UK) needs to recruit and train many more plumbers to install heat pumps, in order to replace millions of gas boilers, if the target of a Net Zero economy by 2050 is to be met.
Cutting the use of fossil fuel heating
Much more needs to be done to show plumbers the financial and environmental advantages of training for heat pumps
Cutting the use of fossil fuel heating will reduce Britain’s dependence on imported gas, making the country less vulnerable to disruption on international markets that is driving up energy bills. But the current generation of plumbers lack incentives to getting training for heat pumps and not enough new recruits are being drawn into heat installation work, the Social Market Foundation said in a report, which is based on extensive interviews with workers and leaders in the heat industry.
A national charm offensive that encourages more people to train for heat installation, by showing the national importance of the work is the need of the hour. Much more needs to be done to show plumbers the financial and environmental advantages of training for heat pumps.
Replacing fossil fuel systems with heat pumps
The SMF report will be published this week, in partnership with a cross-party group of MPs. The heating of buildings, including homes, accounts for 14% of carbon emissions. Reducing this to meet the UK’s net-zero goals rests in large part on plumbers to replace millions of fossil-fuel heating systems with new ones, such as heat pumps.
Policymakers need to also address the barriers to re-training, such as high costs to re-training, inconsistent training standards, and lack of a robust plan for the industry. If these barriers are not addressed, the Government will struggle to meet its target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028, as per SMF.
The Social Market Foundation found concern in the sector that not enough young recruits are being drawn into an industry that will need a large expansion, so as to meet the challenge of installing millions of new heat pumps.
‘Climate Heroes’ campaign
To make the job more attractive, plumbers should be celebrated as key workers, leading the green revolution in home heating. The UK Government should launch a ‘Climate Heroes’ campaign aimed at recognizing the importance of the home heat workforce, for recruiting more into this vital sector, the SMF recommends.
Other key recommendations to policymakers include:
- Stimulate consumer demand by boosting the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
- Launching a clear national information campaign on the phasing out of fossil fuel heating for installers and consumers alike.
- Consider providing tax relief for sole traders and self-employed installers when they’re re-training.
- Set out clear training standards and certifications for all heat pump installers.
Call to reduce dependence on imported gas
The report is being launched before a virtual panel event hosted by the Social Market Foundation
The report is being launched before a virtual panel event hosted by the Social Market Foundation, in association with the APPG on Intelligent Energy and Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group. The SMF panel event will feature Peter Aldous, Lord Oates, and SMF Senior Researcher, Amy Norman, and will be chaired by SMF Director, James Kirkup.
Amy Norman, Senior Researcher at the Social Market Foundation (SMF), said “Energy bills are rising because we’re too reliant on imported gas bought on international markets, where prices are soaring. Taking the gas out of home heating will help to reduce that demand and protect households from this volatility, so the plumbers and installers involved will be doing great service to the country.”
Plumbers and heat installers vital to achieving Net Zero goals
She adds, “Plumbers and heat installers are going to be absolutely vital to the huge national effort to get the carbon out of our home heating. But right now, they don’t have the clarity or incentives they need to get training in fitting heat pumps. We need a dramatic call from Government to call up a generation of climate heroes, who will take the carbon out of our homes.”
Amy Norman further said, “The message is clear - your country needs you to get trained to fit the heat pumps that will help make Britain’s homes cleaner, greener and less dependent on expensive imported gas.”
To seize the opportunity of a Net Zero economy, we’re going to need a lot more plumbers and heat installers"
She continues, “To seize the opportunity of a Net Zero economy, we’re going to need a lot more plumbers and heat installers, but there is concern in the sector that not enough young people want to get into the trade. Ministers should use the Government’s messaging power to celebrate plumbers and heat installers as climate heroes playing a vital role in delivering a greener future.”
Decarbonizing UK homes
Peter Aldous said “Decarbonizing British homes will play a vital role in delivering Net Zero, and as this report shows much will depend on the skills and effort of plumbers and heat installers. Making sure we have more workers with the skills needed to give Britain greener homes and cut our use of expensive gas must be a national priority. Those workers should be celebrated for the role they will play in the Net Zero economy.”
Peter Aldous adds, “The report demonstrates to people across the political spectrum that with the right policies and priorities, Net Zero will deliver a better economy, rich in opportunities for skilled and rewarding work.”
