It is estimated that 85% of properties in the UK have gas central heating. And although there are so many benefits of using gas, for example using it to heat our homes and cook our food, there are also plenty of disadvantages to it as well that often get overlooked because there are no viable alternatives available to the masses just yet.
As a result of this Carbon is constantly being pumped into our atmosphere. Did you know that 15% of the UK’s total carbon emissions came from the gas we burn to heat our homes? With governments all around the world regularly meeting to discuss how they can help reduce our global Carbon footprint it may be time to consider low carbon alternatives.
What Are The Alternatives
There is a variety of alternatives available at the moment, for example, there are things like Storage Heaters, Air Source Heat Pumps, Zero Carbon Heating Trial, Hybrid Systems, Solar Thermal Panels, and Eco Boilers! All of these Low Carbon alternative options will pump little or no Carbon into our atmosphere. This would be a massive step towards the UK government's target of being completely Carbon Zero by 2050! Instead of burning non-reusable fuels like Oil, these systems rely on sustainable fuels like the energy produced by our Sun.
One of these useful alternatives is Thermal Solar Panels, these devices are mounted onto your roof where they will soak up the heat energy realised by the Sun and will then use this energy to heat your water! Obviously, we are reliant on the sun being out and shinning all day, and sometimes in the UK that the Sun is something that can't be relied on. However, as technology improves hopefully we should see stronger panels that can soak up Sunlight through the clouds that we know so well here in the UK.
Why We Need To Change
Although these options to reduce carbon emissions are not yet common they will start to become more and more available as the industry gets to grips with the new technology that is available to them. For all of our lives, we have relied on fossil fuels to power not just our homes but almost every aspect of our civilization. These are finite resources and we will not be able to rely on them for much longer. If we are able to lower the levels of Carbon that is released into the atmosphere hopefully we will be able to lower the levels of air pollution in the biggest cities and this may even result in lives being saved!
How Do We Get To Carbon Zero?
The British Government has set up something called the Green Homes Grant Scheme. This is a scheme that will help make these new technologies more affordable for the masses. As it stands at the moment a Solar Thermal Panel costs £100 per 0.6kg. This government scheme will allow homeowners to get these modern renewable options at a discounted price. This alongside the Gas industry adapting to meet modern expectations means that hopefully, we can continue to work our way towards a Carbon Zero world.
Interested In A Career In The Gas Industry?
If you are interested in pursuing a career within the Gas Industry then Able Skills is the perfect place for you! We offer a variety of Gas Training Courses that are suited to those with all levels of experience. No matter if you are looking to change your career and enter the industry at the bottom or if you have years of industry experience behind you there will be a course for you to improve your skills and knowledge here with us.
If you are interested in a career change and have decided that the Gas Industry is the one for you then the place to start is our New Entrant Gas Training Package, this 7-week course will provide you with everything you need to know as you take the first step towards becoming Gas Safe Registered.