The Energy Saving Trust (EST) has welcomed the publication of the UK Government's Heat and Buildings Strategy as a "significant milestone on the path to the UK achieving a net zero society by 2050".

The recent rises in wholesale gas prices and fuel supply issues have put a spotlight on our current dependency on fossil fuels for heating our homes, fuelling our vehicles and generating electricity.

EST said that they welcome the ambitions of the Heat and Buildings Strategy that look to the phasing out of the reliance on the use of fossil fuels in homes and outline the provision of support for people transitioning to low carbon heat via heat pumps. These are much needed and welcome commitments. Upgrading gas boilers with heat pumps and growing heat networks will help provide the market with the confidence, clarity, and certainty to allow the scaling up of the supply chain and meet the pace needed for the UK to reach its net zero targets by 2050. This will provide opportunities for local jobs and investment that will make a significant contribution to building back better and to levelling up opportunities for people and businesses across the UK.

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EST also welcomed the support the government has committed to scaling up supply chains and skills and the promotion of green jobs through its commitment to low carbon heat. This strategy is a good start but we still need more clarity about the detail of how this ambition is going to be delivered.

Stew Horne, head of policy at Energy Saving Trust, commented: "With the climate emergency upon us, there is no time to waste and we need to take positive action. We must make our homes more energy efficient and move away from reliance on fossil fuels for heating. Heat pumps are an important low carbon heating technology that will help the UK reach its net zero targets and we need real pace and scale in their roll out in our homes.

"The Heat and Buildings Strategy is a good start and sets out the much needed policies that will make heat pumps more attractive to householders and help them to switch over to low carbon heating. This ambition should help provide the confidence, clarity, and certainty, which will help unlock the investment in the supply chain required to make this happen. But we still need more clarity about the detail of how this ambition is going to be delivered and we look forward to working with government on developing these policies and delivery strategies over the coming months."