§ Mr. Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses he estimates (a) in the private sector and (b) in the public sector have facilities for only one type of heating system.
§ Mr. BennI have been asked to reply.
We have no information of the number of homes which have facilities for only one type of heating system, but because of the wide variety of heating equipment available, most people have some choice. Almost all the 6.7 million public sector households and 12.3 million private households can use electric and paraffin heaters. At the beginning of 1975 about 5.5 million public sector homes and 10.6 million private sector homes were situated in a gas supply 987W area. Of these, 4.6 million in the public sector and 8.4 million in the private sector are gas consumers and could use gas heating. Roughly 17 million households are estimated to have chimneys but by no means all of these are in use.
The principal fuel used for heating main living rooms is approximately as follows:
- 28 per cent. solid fuel.
- 45 per cent. gas.
- 22 per cent. electricity.
- 5 per cent. oil.