The EU parliament has tables a controversial bid to ban the use of patio gas heaters as part of a package to combat global warming and climate change. It is estimated that if the bid becomes effective it may cost restaurants and pubs around £250 million a year.
The bid, put forward by British Liberal Democrat Euro MP Fiona Hall has called on EU officials to draw up a timetable to phase out inefficient heating appliances, boilers and other burners including patio heaters.
Such ban would mean the catering industry had wasted £86.5 million investing in heating solutions for outside spaces, and may cost the industry up to £45,000 per day in lost trade as smokers (banned from smoking indoors) would not be able to smoke outside in cold days.
Many Corgi plumbing and heating engineers have worked on installing such heaters alongside larger installation of boilers and general heating systems in the catering industry and they too may be affected from such ban, as fewer future projects would call for Corgi certified plumbers and heating engineers.
Countering the argument by the EU, Dr Eric Johnson, from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change said: “outdoor gas heating is dwarfed when compared to well known offenders such as aeroplanes”.
Although such report is not legally binding, if it does get approved by the MEPs, it is likely to add pressure for more climate change combating action from the EU.
Experienced Corgi registered plumbers and heating engineers tend to agree with Mr. Johnson that the outdoor gas heaters produce low levels of green house gas emissions, especially when compared to other major offenders like motor vehicles and jet planes. With the move to install high efficiency boilers and the large uptake of condensing boiler, the heating sector has seen a major improvement in its overall emissions of carbon dioxide gases.