The Five Horseshoes in Barholm reaches one year of net-zero carbon emissions after installation of vegetable oil heating

A pub has clocked up its first year of net-zero carbon emissions after its heating system was switched to vegetable oil.

The 300-year-old Five Horseshoes Inn, Barholm, moved from a 1970s oil heating system to hydrotreated vegetable oil last year.

Switching to hydrotreated vegetable oil, which is manufactured from used cooking oil, reduced the pub’s annual carbon emissions by 88 per cent.

To off-set the remaining 12 percent and reach carbon neutrality, the pub planted 15 trees at nearby schools over the course of the year.

Landlady Emma Freeman said: “The transition to hydrotreated vegetable oil was very straightforward and the past year has gone very smoothly.”

She added: “For pubs like ours, this hassle-free low-cost solution to going green will be a real lifesaver.”

The government has proposed banning the installation of new fossil fuel oil boilers from 2024 in large non-domestic buildings.

The same would apply to small and medium non-domestic buildings and homes from 2026 if the plans go ahead.