Give your views on carbon-neutral heating

Photo: Jeanette Teare - stock.adobe.com

Major changes will have to be made to the way people heat their homes

Rochdale Borough Council has announced ambitious plans to join other authorities in Greater Manchester in making the borough carbon neutral by 2038.

If it’s to reach that target, major changes will have to be made to the way people heat their homes. To find out residents’ views a month-long online consultation has been launched at www.zerocarbon.vote

This is an online tool which lets residents find out about low carbon heating methods and choose how they may prefer to heat their home in the future. The results will be used to shape the borough’s plans for reaching carbon neutrality and the consultation forms part of the Greater Manchester Local Energy Market project which plans to revolutionise the use and distribution of energy across the region.

Councillor Sara Rowbotham, Rochdale Borough Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for climate change and sustainability, said: “The next two decades are going to see big changes in the way we live as we embrace the move to carbon neutrality. The way we heat our homes will change. Gas is likely to be replaced by heat pumps, and further down the line by hydrogen. To be successful in any transition we all need to work together. It’s vital to understand how our residents want to see this change implemented so we need to hear from them. It’s quick and easy to vote. Change is coming, and by having a say now, residents can help us decide where we put our effort and funding in making the borough carbon neutral by 2038.”

The Zero Carbon consultation is a national survey run by the Energy Systems Catapult, an independent organisation that was established to accelerate the transformation of the UK’s energy system and capture the opportunities of clean growth.

Richard Halsey, capabilities director at the Energy Systems Catapult, added: “Forward-thinking councils like Rochdale recognise there’s a need to plan for their energy system to get to net zero. To do this well it’s important to engage with the community. People need to be aware and informed to prepare their homes in the right way at the right time to meet our net zero commitments. By visiting the website residents can quickly and easily engage in the steps needed to decarbonise their homes and local area”.

The consultation is open until Wednesday 30 March 2022 at www.zerocarbon.vote