Heating: Refrigerators

(asked on 6th July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the cost of prohibiting the use of modern refrigerants including unsaturated hydrofluorocarbons in heat pumps, and replacing them with natural refrigerants such as ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 12th July 2021

Unsaturated hydrofluorocarbons, also known as hydrofluoro-olefins (HFOs), are used increasingly in products and equipment such as heat pumps as replacements for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) due to their much lower Global Warming Potential.

HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases and their use is being phased down under legislation. We are reviewing that legislation to see whether we can go further in support of the UK’s net zero target. As part of the review, we will assess the availability, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of all alternatives to HFCs, including HFOs and natural refrigerants.

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