Commercial Maintenance Services (CMS) is asking Business Secretary Alok Sharma to provide assurances that any government deadline for the decarbonisation of commercial heating systems will be “realistic, practical and affordable”.
Nic Smith, co-founder and managing director of CMS, is warning that the economy could be seriously harmed if businesses are left to shoulder the huge capital costs and responsibility of installing alternative technologies on a mass scale.
Instead, the Business Secretary must adopt a planned and measured approach to businesses when introducing carbon neutral heating systems, he said.
He issued the plea after climate change minister Lord Duncan of Springbank revealed that a white paper is to consider whether the government should ban gas central heating from domestic homes.
Gas regulator Ofgem has already warned that Britain must change the way both homes and businesses are heated if the UK is to achieve its 2050 carbon neutral target.
CMS predicts that a similar ban on commercial gas heating may also be on the agenda. It argues that while most accept the need to reduce carbon emissions to zero, it is unwise to impose a deadline ban without any major government support or detailed strategy being in place.
Nic said: “I would urge the Business Secretary to consider realistic and workable options before imposing any similar gas boiler ban on businesses.
“Modern gas boilers are extremely efficient and will have an important role to play in the necessary transition period that will allow for the development of alternative technologies.
“CMS champions low carbon and carbon neutral heating sources but – like the EV network – we recognise such a step change in policy is unachievable in the short term without major government incentives and support.
“I would urge Alok Sharma to resist any temptation to enforce a deadline without a clearly structured plan for the introduction of realistic, practical and affordable alternatives.”