Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
dependency on gas must also include reducing the use of gas in the do-
mestic sector, or changing how this gas is sourced.
This should involve:
Improving home energy eciency. A recent report from the Association for
the Conservation of Energy suggested that a home with an average level
of energy eciency could save
d
313 a year (or 25% or their heating bill)
and an average fuel-poor home could save
d
650 a year through energy
e
ciency measures.
82
While some people are forced to choose between
heating and eating due to poorly insulated homes, funding for energy
eciency schemes has reduced considerably since 2012. The only way to
cut gas usage effectively, and deal with fuel poverty in the long-term, is
through a large-scale, publicly funded energy-eciency programme.
Development of renewable gas. National Grid calculated in 2009 that re-
newable gas (produced mainly via anaerobic digestion or thermal gas-
ification of biodegradable waste) could meet up to 50% of the UK's
residential gas demand.
83
However, care needs to be taken about whe-
ther the feedstock could be better dealt with by other means, such as
recycling, and the use of agricultural crops for anaerobic digestion
needs to be discouraged.
Electrification of heat. Early decarbonisation of power generation allows
the use of electricity for the decarbonisation of other sectors, such as
heating through the use of ground- and air-source heat pumps. National
Grid has said that this is a ''critical component of decarbonising heat''.
84
References
1. Prime Minister's Oce, Local Councils to Receive Millions in Business
Rates from Shale Gas Developments, 2014; https://www.gov.uk/
government/news/local-councils-to-receive-millions-in-business-rates-
from-shale-gas-developments (last accessed 13/01/2014).
2. The Spectator, Conservative Conference: Owen Patterson says Yes to Shale
Gas and No to Wind Farm Subsidies, 2012; http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/
coffeehouse/2012/10/conservative-conference-owen-paterson-says-yes-to-
shale-gas-and-no-to-wind-farms-subsidies/ (last accessed 01/12/2013).
3. European Commission, Impact Assessment accompanying the Communi-
cation from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council,
the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of
the Regions on Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons (such as Shale
Gas) using High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing in the EU, 2014.
4. DECC, The Myths and Realities of Shale Gas Exploration, 2013; https://
www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-myths-and-realities-of-shale-gas-
exploration (last accessed 14/01/2014).
5. AEA Technology for the European Commission, Support to the Identifi-
cation of Potential Risks for the Environment and Human Health arising from
Hydrocarbons Operations involving Hydraulic Fracturing in Europe,2012.
