At the beginning of the first UK Hydrogen Week, Baxi, a leading heating and hot water solutions provider has called for the industry to respond to the Government’s pivotal Improving boiler standards and efficiency consultation.

Setting out the next steps for home heating decarbonisation, the consultation covers a range of topics around natural gas boiler installations, heating controls, the potential role for hybrid heat pumps in the future, and a proposal for mandating ‘hydrogen-ready’ boilers from 2026.

With the potential to change heating professionals’ working lives significantly, Baxi wants to highlight the importance of responding to the consultation to ensure the heating industry has an active role in shaping the policy decisions set to determine the long-term future of the sector.

Baxi has been at the forefront of renewable heating development, including hydrogen demonstration projects and research across the country. For residential applications, Baxi has supplied it’s hydrogen boilers and 20% blend compatible to projects such as HyDeploy, Hy4Heat, HyStreet, Northern Gas Network’s 100% Hydrogen Home near Gateshead and the H100 Fife project of 300 homes in Scotland.

Most recently, Baxi has partnered with H2Go Power to deliver the world-first commercial hydrogen boiler and demonstrate the technology’s potential to decarbonise multiple industries.

Furthering expertise in hydrogen being made available to Baxi is from its parent company, BDR Thermea, who have recently launched a world first hydrogen pilot in the Dutch town of Lochem. The company is using its 100% hydrogen boilers in 12 inhabited homes – which closely resemble the UK’s existing housing stock in age and energy efficiency – with hydrogen supplied via an existing natural gas grid.

Jeff House, External Affairs and Policy Director at Baxi UK and Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to see the UK’s first UK Hydrogen Week take place, highlighting the sheer scale of research and development taking place to explore the viability of the fuel as part of a practical route to net zero for our industry. Baxi’s commitment to developing hydrogen appliances as low carbon alternatives to natural gas is a key part of our wider strategy of lowering emissions from heating and hot water provision.

“We hope initiatives like Hydrogen Week will increase the support and urgency at which we push hydrogen as one of the key pillars of decarbonisation, in addition to guiding policy in the area.”

With hydrogen-ready technology for heating applications mentioned by the Government in its latest consultation, policy direction could be pointing towards the technology as one of the solutions for the future.

Jeff adds: “Whatever the rules and regulations put in place by the Government, the industry is moving towards a low carbon future, with heat pumps, hybrid systems, heat networks and hydrogen all set to play their part in this effort. To ensure we achieve this goal, it is vital that we take a pragmatic approach informed by the perspectives of that heating professionals who live and breathe our industry. We’d urge everyone involved in the heating industry to provide feedback on the consultation to ensure the policies it will ultimately result in are suitable and achievable.”