unfortunately the only newspaper article on this was the dail telegraph which is behind a paywall of course
A leaked report estimates that the cost of decommissioning Britain’s gas grid, as part of the country’s goal to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, could total £65 billion, with households picking up the tab. The Telegraph has more.
Households face an estimated bill of £2,300 each to shut down Britain’s gas grid as part of the Government’s drive towards Net Zero, a leaked draft of an official report suggests.
The cost of decommissioning the grid could reach a total of £65 billion, according to a draft National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) report.
It is the first time a public body has examined the future of the 176,000-mile network of buried pipes, which serves eight in ten homes but risks becoming obsolete under plans to reach Net Zero carbon emissions. Unused pipes must be removed or they risk decay and experts fear the potential collapse of roads.
Households could be left to foot the bill through higher energy bills or taxes since there is no provision for decommissioning in current government budgets, and energy companies are not obliged to cover the costs.
The NIC did not dispute the figures when contacted, although an insider insisted the report was a draft and could change before final publication next month.
The NIC believes the grid could theoretically be converted to carry hydrogen, which is cleaner, but that would also come at cost of “tens of billions of pounds” and there are doubts over the suitability of hydrogen as a mass heating solution.
SO here's an idea why don't we keep the network and continue using gas instead of sadling every house in the country with a massive bill because a few politicians are desperate to be the first net zero country and with no more CO2 welcome a new ice age where we freeze to death because Air source heat pumps can't keep us warm ! :roll:
