The Committee on Climate Change's third annual progress report to Parliament called for a 'significant acceleration' in the pace of emissions reductions. Mark Krull urges heating and ventilating contractors to consider the contribution they could make to this important aim.
The heating season is only a month away and if we have another cold one, this will provide a serious set-back to meeting carbon reduction targets.

Last year's figures from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) show that the Arctic temperatures forced emissions up three per cent. The level did remain inside the limits of the first carbon budget, but only because 2009's recession resulted in an unexpected nine per cent reduction thanks to people cutting back on heating to save money.

The report concluded that, when adjusted to take account of the cold weather, greenhouse gas emissions are broadly flat, meaning that the UK must outperform against the first three carbon budgets that run up to 2022 if there is to be any hope of achieving the 50 per cent cuts demanded.

Renewable alternatives to fossil fuels should be making a big contribution to carbon-cutting, but when it comes to these technologies, the CCC's findings pointed to a Pew Centre report in March which showed that Britain fell out of the world's top 10 renewable energy investors for the first time last year.

This worrying situation will hopefully be rectified by the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) on the one hand, but on the other, the recent blow to Feed in Tariffs (FiTs) for large-scale electricity generating schemes seems a step in the wrong direction when we have such steep targets to meet.

At the moment, the installation of renewable heat technologies in homes and businesses needs to expand sixfold, from just two per cent today to 12 per cent by 2020. This presents a huge opportunity for heating and ventilating contractors.


Reducing emissions is not just about renewables; the report recognised the success of programmes to replace inefficient boilers and, while the scrappage scheme is no longer running, you should really be encouraging customers with old gas systems and for whom microgeneration technologies aren't an option, to upgrade to a SEDBUK A rated system with the best energy efficiency controls.

Don't forget to keep your ACS up to date to maintain your place on the Gas Safe Register - for many this is just about to run out.

Other measures to be encouraged include loft and cavity wall insulation. In fact, these energy saving steps should happen in advance of any moves towards renewable technologies.

Choosing alternatives to fossil fuels is a false economy if the building is leaking heat like a sieve. The CCC's report found there was a 30 per cent reduction in professional loft and cavity wall insulations in 2010, a worrying statistic when these relatively low-cost measures should be implemented by every home and business in Britain.

If you are involved in these sorts of contracts, why not consider employing someone who can bring these services to your offering, so you can provide a total energy saving (and fuel bill reducing) solution? Alternatively, partner with a provider in your area and give each other commission, depending on who brings in the work.

Too often building services engineers go into a job and do their bit, without looking at the bigger picture; a total solution may be better for the customer and provide more money-making opportunities for your business.

Hopefully, the Green Deal will reignite interest in these measures, with the goal of the scheme to insulate all the UK's 23.3 million lofts and 18.7 million cavity walls by 2015, as well as two million solid walls by 2020. The Green Deal also covers renewable technologies and new boilers.

As you read this, it's probably still warm and thoughts of heating buildings are a long way off. Before you know it, however, the nights will draw in. It could pay dividends to talk to your customers, explain the benefits of the alternatives and think beyond the scope of what your business can offer on its own.

While the CCC's report is damning, it highlights the opportunities out there and the speed at which they need to be implemented, so why not do your bit to boost carbon reduction and boost your business at the same time?

• Mark Krull is a director at Logic4training