12 January 2012 Guardian

Royal Academy of Engineering says lack of necessary skills will hamper UK's ability to switch to lower carbon forms of heating.. 

Plumbers are almost wholly unprepared for the "drastic change" to the way the UK's homes are heated as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions, leading engineers said on Thursday, meaning householders could need to turn to architects and engineers at a potential cost of over £20,000 per house.

In a report published on Thursday, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) also warned that government plans for insulation and green energy are not adequate for the changes needed for a shift to low-carbon heating. They called for a massive switch to renewable energy such as solar water heaters and wood-burning stoves to a street by street effort to upgrade insulation in Britain's draughty homes.

About a quarter of the UK's carbon emissions come from heating residential buildings, largely with gas. To meet future carbon reduction targets, the amount of fuel used must come down drastically and millions of homes will have to use new technology such as heat pumps. 

View the full story online at the Guardian.