Spa Gas Limited in Attendance with Baxi

Spa Gas Limited in attendance with Baxi for the survey and findings to help Care Home leaders requiring further support to achieving heat decarbonisation goals.

‍Why care homes? The annual carbon emissions of care homes could be as high as 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year, making it critical to take action to decarbonise the heat in their buildings.

Over 400 senior and middle management care home managers in both the private and public sectors this summer in an effort to understand the enablers required to help decarbonise the sector.

The survey found a strong appetite for decarbonisation from those who responded. A promising 46% of respondents said they had already decarbonised their heating systems, with 50% indicating they are taking steps to do so.

Care homes are a vital sector to consider as we move towards greener and more efficient homes and buildings. However, despite the positive outlook on low carbon tech among care home bosses, Baxi found that gas boilers are still a prominent technology in the sector, with 42% of respondents listing them as their main heating system.

Running costs were viewed as key consideration when exploring decarbonisation options for 85% of respondents, meaning that any low carbon solutions will need to consider affordability as a priority. System efficiency and ease of installation were also marked as a key driver of decarbonisation for 42% and 39% of respondents, respectively. The focus group emphasised that continuity and reliability of heating systems are essential.

Running costs were viewed as key consideration when exploring decarbonisation options for 85% of respondents, meaning that any low carbon solutions will need to consider affordability as a priority. System efficiency and ease of installation were also marked as a key driver of decarbonisation for 42% and 39% of respondents, respectively. The focus group emphasised that continuity and reliability of heating systems are essential.

In the private sector, respondents experienced challenges with funding application processes, and struggle with strict eligibility criteria and resource requirements. In the public sector, care homes tend to struggle more with competition delays to funding and what they felt was ‘bias and discrimination’ throughout the process.

Baxi understands the importance of reliable and efficient heating systems across the care home sector. We have laid out five clear steps for the Government to help ramp up the decarbonisation of the UK’s care homes, removing barriers that are preventing some facilities from making the switch.

1. Introduce funding schemes and ringfence specific funding for care home heating system decarbonisation to ensure clarity and funding certainty to care homes
   
2. Provide specific guidance to care homes to help them to better understand eligibility and application processes for funding
   
3. Address the specific skills gap in the care homes sector to help deliver heat decarbonisation projects
   
4. Create databases of contractors and developers with expertise of the care sector
   
5. Address the imbalance in price between gas and electricity to lower the cost of electrical heating systems by accelerating plans for rebalancing levies
   

Contracts Managers Darren Gallagher and Richard Fry, whom where both in attendance at Westminster on the 10th September 2025.

‍Senior Contracts Manager, Darren Gallagher, Commented:

‍“Attending the survey and findings session with Baxi provided valuable insight into the challenges care home leaders face in meeting heat decarbonisation goals. The discussions highlighted the practical, financial, and operational barriers that require tailored support rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. Spa Gas Limited contributed practical insight from our experience working with care settings, offering a perspective on realistic transition pathways, system suitability, and ongoing support requirements. We are encouraged by the progress to date and look forward to working together to help care homes move confidently toward sustainable, low-carbon heating solutions.”