Beckie Lam is a marketeer at Rinnai.
Rinnai has conducted a survey asking industry professionals a series of multiple-choice questions on ‘The Future Role of Gas in UK Heating and Hot Water’. The responses reveal that there is a reluctance or uncertainty to fully ignore natural gas as a primary source of UK energy. The reasons for uncertainty were not probed in this survey but can be reasonably assumed when analysing the current conditions of the domestic and global energy markets.
Rising costs
A main influence in the energy industry that could be attributed towards this feeling of uncertainty is cost. UK customers appear to trust natural gas and accompanying technology more so than renewables. This is despite natural gas being vulnerable to geopolitical conflict, as demonstrated by recent spikes in costs following the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the current war in Iran.
It could be argued that if this survey was completed in the near future when additional costs become apparent, confidence in natural gas will be reduced and confidence in renewables increased. However, this survey does reflect a level of reluctance to move away from natural gas as a reliant form of energy.
The survey was completed before the military conflict in Iran, but the current state and economic military action throughout the globe means that natural gas could be regarded as a financial concern by energy industry professionals and customers.
A long-term future
When considering the feedback – 53% believe that gas has a long-term UK future, an additional 46% think gas will be a main contributor towards UK power for 21-50 years, with a further 11% believing that gas has a shelf life of over 50 years.
Is this evidence that confidence in replacement energies and technologies does not appear to have been fully adopted by UK energy industry professionals? Or is this evidence of total confidence in natural gas by UK energy sector professionals?
When asked if newbuilds should be constructed with a gas infrastructure, 15% strongly agreed while 46% agreed.
When compared to the figures of 19% of participants who disagreed and the 7% who strongly disagreed, you could argue that there is discernible support for the continuity of gas usage in UK newbuilds.
When you also add in the 57% of respondents who ‘strongly believe’ gas has a role in supplying energy to existing UK buildings, and the 38% who ‘believe’ the same (albeit less rigorously), gas appears to be favoured across newbuild and existing buildings. Again, natural gas is still being seen as an energy source capable of delivering UK power requirements for heating and hot water.
This survey highlights that gas is still a strong option for all concerned and potentially reveals an uncertainty over low-carbon alternatives. What that uncertainty is
is, ironically, uncertain. Is it holistically net zero as a concept and approach, or simply concerns over the cost of alternatives?
Rinnai is interested in hearing more views on this issue – have your say at www.rinnai-uk.co.uk/contact-us/ask-us-question