In its latest report, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has told the government it needs to invest more money to install heat pumps, if it is to meet 2035 targets.
It said the government needed to invest around £3 billion a year to install heat pumps and improve energy efficiency in public sector estate and social housing, as well as £1.3 billion a year to cover the full cost of heat pump installation for lower income households.
In addition, it told the government it needed to invest £22 billion in order to improve road and transport schemes.
The organisation is also calling on the government to invest money into the storage and transmission of hydrogen and carbon, and to set out proposals encouraging the private sector to build these networks.
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It comes after the Prime Minister’s U-turn which saw a reversal of net zero policies last month, which saw him delay the 2030 ban on the sales of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035, as well as an ease on heat pump transition.
“The good news is that modern, reliable infrastructure can support economic growth, help tackle climate change and enhance the natural environment,” Chair of National Infrastructure Committee Sir John Armitt wrote in the report’s foreword.
“We stand at a pivotal moment in time with the opportunity to make a major difference to this country’s future. But we need to get on with it.”
“People often talk about infrastructure as the backbone of our economy: what our infrastructure needs now is the collective mettle to turn commitments into action that will reap rewards for decades to come.”
