The ‘switch to gas’ in social housing is important to tackle climate change, a government Minister told Tynwald.
But Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne’s comments were greeted with incredulity by some MHKs who said converting to more expensive gas heating would do nothing to tackle fuel poverty.
Mr Gawne has been asked by Lib Van MHK Peter Karran to investigate domestic boiler control products which he said would save on heating bills.
Mr Karran said trying to force local authority tenants to switch from oil to gas boilers is ‘certainly not doing anything to help the fuel poverty problem’.
This prompted the Minister to retort: ‘The member and his party do not seem particularly bothered that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are being introduced into the environment at an alarming rate and are likely to lead to significant harm to the planet and to the future of humankind.
‘However, my department does believe it is important to reduce carbon emissions. So the switch to gas is important. I think it is an excellent thing to do.’
Douglas South MHK Bill Malarkey said he was ‘completely stunned’ by Mr Gawne ‘telling us all that we have got to have gas central heating because it is environmentally friendly when oil has halved in price in the last 18 months, and gas has gone up!’ He added: ‘One power station in China puts out more muck in a week than the whole Isle of Man does in a year.’
Graham Cregeen (Malew and Santon) said: ‘It may be OK for the Minister to be saying we have got to be responsible for the change in the climate. But is he not also concerned about those people who cannot afford to heat with gas?’