"Coalition for sustainable heating": ban heating systems using natural gas and heating oil
A coalition of 60 energy suppliers, heating system manufacturers, experts and environmental pressure groups has launched a timetable for a switch towards sustainble heating systems. They want a ban on new heating oil systems as from 2021, and from 2030 no more natural gas heating systems should be installed.
Today, 90 percent of the Belgian households is using either heating oil or gas; these fossil fuels are accounting for 14 percent of the Flemish CO2 emissions. If we want to meet our climate targets, we should make a massive switch towards other ways of heating our homes.
Each year between now and 2050, some 100,000 families should opt for sustainable heating systems such as biomass, solar boilers, heat pumps or larger heating networks. In order to realise this major shift, the coalition favours a tax shift away from electricity towards heating oil and natural gas. Heating oil systems in houses should go first.
Politicians should work out a proper policy for sustainable heating, and quickly
VAT on electricity should drop, because the different systems of heat pumps use more electricity than the present heating on gas. People will not make the switch if this will cost them an arm and a leg, and they should have fiscal benefits, it is argued. This is where the government comes in, signers point out.
It's not only universities and environmental pressure groups who signed the charter, but also cities like Ghent and energy suppliers. Benjamin Clarysse of the Bond Beter Leefmilieu for a better environment told the VRT that "we are making an appeal to Flemish and federal politicians. They urgently need to work out a proper policy for sustainable heating systems. We've done a lot for green electricity, but we also need to make a switch towards greener heating systems."