The Stove Industry Association has welcomed the Government’s recognition, in its new Future of Rural England report, that rural households face distinct challenges when it comes to energy, housing and infrastructure.
The report highlights a number of issues that will be familiar to many people living in rural communities, including ageing infrastructure, a high proportion of properties located off the gas grid, deeper levels of fuel poverty and homes that can be more difficult and costly to retrofit. It also acknowledges that, while heat pumps are expected to play a major role in the transition to lower-carbon heating, they may not be suitable for every property.
The SIA believes this reinforces the importance of avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach to rural heating policy.
For many households, particularly those in older, detached or off-grid properties, the ability to draw on a range of appropriate heating options will be essential. Modern Ecodesign wood-burning stoves can provide reliable secondary heating, support household resilience during power outages and reduce dependence on a single energy source.
Used correctly with dry, sustainably sourced fuel, modern stoves can also form part of a broader rural energy mix alongside electrification and other low-carbon technologies.
The report’s focus on resilience, infrastructure constraints and local energy systems is therefore welcome. However, there is also an opportunity for future policy to give greater recognition to the role of modern secondary heating and local wood fuel supply chains.
Well-managed domestic wood fuel can support woodland management, rural employment, local businesses and energy resilience, while giving consumers greater flexibility in how they heat their homes.
Erica Malkin, Executive Director of the Stove Industry Association, said:
“Rural households face very different energy challenges from those in towns and cities, and this report rightly recognises that not every property will be suited to the same solution. As Government develops future rural energy policy, it is important that modern secondary heating technologies are considered alongside electrification. For appropriate homes, a modern Ecodesign stove can provide valuable resilience, consumer choice and a reliable source of supplementary heat. We would welcome the opportunity to work with Government to ensure future policy reflects the practical realities of rural living and recognises the contribution that sustainably fuelled modern stoves can make.”
The SIA supports a balanced approach that combines the latest technology, responsible fuel use, consumer education and proportionate regulation.
Future rural energy policy should reflect the diversity of the UK’s housing stock and ensure that households are able to choose practical, affordable and resilient heating solutions suited to their circumstances.
