Solid Fuel Carbon Tax

From the 1st May 2013, a hefty carbon tax is applied to all solid fuel supply within the state. Within one year, one tonne of coal will have increased by a whopping €65! Furthermore, this is likely to increase even further year on year after that. This will have a massive impact on homes across the country. Many home-owners have switched from oil and gas to solid fuel but this will make them think again. Anybody considering making a similar switch should consider their options very carefully. Solid fuel is getting very expensive but is also very labour intensive and dirty. Contact us now to learn more.

So, why carbon tax?

Our Government is tasked with reducing carbon emissions within the state by 2020. They are currently well behind targets and must make significant strides in the next seven years. If targets are not hit, our state will incur huge fines from Europe, so making drastic changes in the short term is very important. The only way to do this is to make carbon heavy fuels expensive (that or ban them completely, which will probably eventually happen) and/or incentivise carbon neutral or carbon free fuels such as wood pellets, solar, etc.

Solid Fuel Carbon Tax rates

Initially, Solid Fuel Carbon Tax is to increase coal based fuel products by €32.39 per tonne and peat based fuel by €22.55 per tonne. This will take effect on 1st May 2013. The tax will then double on the 1st May 2014. Rates beyond this have not been set as yet. You can download Revenue's guidance document on Solid Fuel Carbon Tax below.

Solid_Fuel_Carbon_Tax_Guidance.pdf

The good news

Solid fuel and all fossil fuels, including oil and gas are rising in price and being discouraged by governments across the world through price increases. The good news is that there are excellent alternatives available through various renewable technologies. These technologies are no longer new and have greatly improved over the years to meet strenuous testing and move ahead of their competition, eg. solar hot water systems can heat a large portion of your water for free; wood pellet boilers can heat your home for less than half the cost of heating oil and with the same convenience; wood pellet stoves are available with and without boilers to provide a wonderful alternative to a solid fuel stove with superior convenience, cleanliness and cheap, carbon tax free fuel.

Contact us today for some free advice on what heating systems are available and what may suit your own needs or explore our website further.