• An online consultation for residents to vote on how they may heat their homes in the near future is being launched in Manchester and Salford
• The results will inform plans for the two boroughs to become carbon neutral by 2038
• Residents have until 15^thNovember to vote

Salford and Manchester have launched online consultations using Energy Systems Catapult’s zerocarbon.vote tool for residents to vote on what low carbon heating they want in their homes.

Greater Manchester is going carbon neutral by 2038. As part of its contribution to become carbon neutral, major changes will need to be made to the way people in each of the ten boroughs heat their homes.

Up until 15^th November residents in the local authorities areas of Salford and Manchester will be pioneering zerocarbon.vote, an online consultation tool where residents will find out about low carbon heating methods and choose how they’d prefer to heat their home in the future.  The results being used to shape plans by Salford and Manchester City Council to deliver carbon neutrality.

The consultation forms part of the Greater Manchester Local Energy Market project which sets out ambitious plans to revolutionise the use and distribution of energy across the Greater Manchester region, supporting a low carbon future with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2038.  It’s the first local energy market project of this scale.

Peter Openshaw, Strategic Director of Place Directorate at Salford City Council said: “The next two decades are going to see big changes in the way we live as we embrace the move to carbon neutrality for example, the way we heat our homes will change, fossil fuel based gas will go to be replaced by heat pumps and further down the line hydrogen.

“To be successful in any transition we all need to work together, and it is therefore vital to understand how our residents want to see this change implemented. So, we need to hear from them.”

“It is easy and quick to vote, taking less than five minutes, so I urge everyone to get involved. Change is coming, and by having your say now, residents can help inform where we will put our effort and funding in making Salford carbon neutral by 2038.”

Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Environment at Manchester City Council, said: “It’s widely recognised that we must transition away from using fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change through carbon emissions, to cleaner alternatives for heating our homes.

“Reaching the city’s goal of becoming zero carbon by 2038 is going to require tremendous changes over the years ahead.”

“To be successful we all need to work together. Understanding what sort of changes Manchester people want to see to how they heat their homes will help inform our plans and, crucially, give us an evidence base as we seek the funding to deliver them. So, we’d encourage people to take part in this vote.”

These two online consultations follow on from the zerocarbon.vote survey carried out in partnership with Bury Council in September.

Richard Halsey, Capabilities Director at Energy Systems Catapult added: “Forward-thinking councils like Salford and Manchester recognise there’s a need to plan for their future local energy system to get to net zero.   To do this well it’s important to engage with the local community, to inform local area energy plan making and to help people know what to prepare for.

“People need to be aware and informed to prepare their homes in the right way at the right time to deliver on our net zero commitments. zerocarbon.vote is a quick and easy way to help people engage in the steps needed decarbonise their homes and local area”.

Salford and Manchester residents can visit zerocarbon.vote to have their say. The consultations will be open until the 15^th November