A new survey conducted on behalf of OFTEC has shown the government’s green heating policies are impacting voting intentions across key marginals ahead of the next election.
Nearly three in four, 72%, of voters on oil heating said the government’s proposals to stop them installing a replacement boiler after 2026 and instead switch to a heat pump will influence how they cast their ballot in a general election, according to OFTEC.
The survey also showed 65% of voters are against the government’s plans to limit the choice of low carbon heating systems they can install, whilst 63% of oil homes want the option of switching to a renewable liquid fuel.
Over 1,000 voters on oil heating were surveyed across 15 seats including those of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Richmond and former Secretary of State for BEIS, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Constituencies of key red wall marginal seats the Conservatives won in 2019 were also included in the research, such as Blyth Valley where Ian Levy MP has a majority of just 712, OFTEC said.
Malcolm Farrow from OFTEC, pictured, said: “These findings should be a real wake up call for the Conservatives. Households are increasingly concerned about the cost of the government’s green policies and voters have said they will make their feelings known at the next election.
“Whilst we fully support the need to transition oil homes to greener heating, in the current cost of living crisis we need solutions which are affordable and realistic. Heat pumps are an ideal choice for some homes and we’re training technicians to install the technology. But we must be pragmatic about where best to deploy them and recognise that for many oil homes the costs are simply unaffordable.
“That’s why the government must adopt a technology neutral approach which focuses on delivering the right heating solution for the right home to give consumers a choice in how they go green. Our successful demonstration project shows renewable liquid fuels such as HVO provide an ideal alternative and must be a part of the mix. Our industry is ready and to rollout at scale if the government can provide the necessary policy support.”