Farmers will be unfairly penalised if government proposals to enforce electric heat technologies in rural areas, are passed.

In a move to decarbonise rural heating, the government’s heat and buildings strategy plans to phase out fossil fuel heating systems in over 100,000 off-grid businesses and 2 million homes in England, from 2026. This is nine years earlier than for those on England’s main gas grid.

Instead, agricultural businesses that rely on traditional fuels such as heating oil or LPG for space and water heating, will be forced to install electrified technologies with expensive up-front install costs, such as heat pumps, if their current system breaks down. This could impact rural office spaces, milking parlours, poultry sheds or grain stores.

Trade association Liquid Gas UK, which represents companies in the liquified petroleum gas industry, says the government should offer a range of options to rural businesses, including LPG and bioLPG, to support net zero ambitions.

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“A blanket approach to the decarbonisation of rural heat fails to consider the complex needs of farming businesses,” says Sophia Haywood, director of public affairs at Liquid Gas UK . “The agricultural community relies heavily on traditional fuels for heating and hot water - their energy needs are vast.”

Many farms are typically located off-the gas grid, particularly in rural strongholds such as the south west and north west of England. In these regions, 40 to 60% of properties don’t have access to mains energy.

Studies also show that 48% of non-domestic retail businesses were built pre-1949, and that many have an energy rating of D or below, suggesting levels of thermal insulation are low. For a typical rural cottage, the up-front cost of installing a heat pump can be more than £18,000, and where building insulation or efficiency upgrades are needed, is closer to £32,000. 

“Not only will farming businesses be affected, but the majority of those working in agriculture also live in rural areas, so there’s the added concern on what this means for heating their homes,” she says. 

Miss Haywood stresses that rural communities should be able to choose how best to heat their businesses and homes. 

“It’s essential that rural people are given a range of low-carbon heat options, which includes LPG,” says Ms Haywood. “LPG is the lowest carbon and most efficient transitional fuel for most rural businesses, and can be used alone or alongside heat pumps as a hybrid energy system.”

She adds that renewable bioLPG is already available and can be ‘dropped in’ to existing LPG systems, and that LPG industry has committed to being 100% renewable by 2040.

“BioLPG can also power other processes such as generators, water pumps and forklift trucks,” she says. “Rural people deserve to be treated fairly and have a choice over how to heat and power their businesses.”