Gas workers and customers are being left behind in the Government’s rush to move to electric home heating, GMB says.
A proposed £5,000 installation grant will not be enough to bridge the cost gap between gas boilers and heat pumps.
Even after the higher installation costs, customers pay an average £250 more a year in running costs.
And the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has warned that there are not enough heat pump installers to meet the Government’s targets.
No clear new funding has been announced today to invest in a workforce that currently does not exist at any serious scale, GMB warned.
Andy Prendergast, GMB National Secretary, said:
“This is the wrong plan that ducks the hard questions on the future of home heating.
“Describing this as a ‘plan to drive down the cost of clean heat’ is blatantly misleading.
“Heat pumps are unsuitable for many homes and we need to invest far more in realistic clean alternatives like hydrogen.
“Ministers are letting down customers who will see their bills rocket and the skilled gas workforce who will see their jobs go to the wall
“This isn’t how you to take workers and communities with you on the journey to net zero.
“Without a proper industrial plan, today’s announcement will deliver nothing but rocketing bills and unemployment.”
