As I write this column, it is as warm as a mid-summer’s day, and I see on BBC that this weekend’s forecast is a scorching 26 degrees Celsius – hotter than many typical summer days. While unseasonably warm October days have become more common in the past decade, we face the looming threat of climate change, a profound global challenge.
In this climate change debate extreme positions persist; those who want to deny climate change or abandon net zero altogether because the costs are too high, and those who want to go further and faster with no regard to the cost to people’s lives or how much our amazing country has already achieved compared to others.
The Prime Minister recently announced a pragmatic, proportionate, and realistic approach to achieving net zero while reducing the burden on working people. To be clear – this is without sacrificing our long-term goal and the timescale in which it is to be achieved. This approach aligns the UK with other similar countries like Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Sweden by easing our transition to electric vehicles from 2030 to 2035. Additionally, it grants families more time to adopt other carbon-saving measures – such as heat pumps – and exempting altogether a fifth of all households where installing heat pumps is impractical or unaffordable. To help, the Government is increasing the Boiler Upgrade Scheme cash grants by 50% to £7,500 to support those consumers who want to make the transition now. This is one of the most generous grants in Europe which, following government support, makes a heat pump installation financially comparable to a boiler replacement.
As a Conservative MP, who cares about our environment and our children’s future, I wholeheartedly support the Prime Minister’s measures. The cost of net zero cannot and must not fall on those who can least afford it. In places like Hastings and Rye, local residents should not bear undue hardships during the transition to a low-carbon economy, especially when the UK's commendable progress in emissions reduction allows for a more practical approach while still honouring our domestic and international obligations.
By 2030, the Government anticipates a natural shift towards electric vehicles due to falling costs, improving range and an expanding infrastructure. But the upfront costs are still high for families struggling with the cost of living – and it should be the consumer, not government, driving the choice to buy electric. Furthermore, our charging infrastructure needs to grow, and allowing more time will allow this to happen. Whilst Hastings Borough and Rother District Councils have installed electric vehicle charging points in several of their car parks, many local authorities have declared a climate emergency, yet have still not implemented any measures to address it.
We need a fairer approach to decarbonising how we heat our homes. Encouraging innovation by businesses will make heat pumps more affordable and efficient without imposing excessive costs on families. For example, a family living in a three-bedroom home in Hastings would currently have to pay £7,000 to £16,000 to install a heat pump plus ten radiators. Compelling households to prematurely replace existing boilers that are still working is unjust. Mandating heat pump installations should only occur when gas boilers naturally reach the end of their lifespan, starting in 2035.
This Government’s decision to eliminate burdensome energy efficiency requirements will be a relief to many property owners. Under previous plans, some property owners faced costly upgrades within just three years, and judging from some emails that I have received, was leading landlords to sell their private rental properties, reducing the number of properties available to rent locally.
Thankfully, I am assured that the Government will continue to subsidise energy efficiency programs to lower bills. Further, in the meantime, the Government will bring in necessary reforms to improve our grid capacity and infrastructure – something I have long championed. This sensible initiative marks the next stage in the UK’s environmental agenda ahead of COP28. We cannot tackle climate change by reducing our carbon emissions alone. We must also protect, restore and unleash the power of nature, allowing it to absorb and hold carbon. Nature-based climate solutions must also represent a key part of our drive to reach net zero in an affordable way.