Potential Gas Boiler installation ban delayed

Gas boiler ban highly unlikely by 2035

Recently, it was announced that the government is expected to water down plans to ban the sale of new gas boilers in the UK over concerns about the cost to consumers of transitioning to net zero emissions. Reports suggest that an outright ban on gas boilers is highly unlikely by 2035.

The proposed replacement, hydrogen-fired boilers and heat pumps, are currently much more expensive than traditional fossil fuel options and they are also less available to the domestic market, creating problems for developers and installers across the country. The proposed delay would obviously enable more time for supply issues to be ironed out, as well as allowing developers, installers and existing homeowners to better understand this new way forward.

Replacing millions of gas boilers is a key part of the UK’s target to reach net zero by 2050. Emissions from buildings remain at a high level with the residential sector accounting for almost 21 per cent of all UK carbon dioxide emissions in 2020, natural gas heating being the largest contributing factor to that.

Dan Owen, Business Development Director at Aptus Utilities comments: “This news shows what a tricky balancing act reaching net zero will be. We obviously need to do everything we can to hit these important environmental targets, but we must also take into account the cost to consumers and installers as well.”

The public is set to be incentivised to buy an eco-friendly heat-pump next time their boiler breaks down – but the delay in introducing the ban means working boilers could have to be taken out before 2050, or the UK could fail to hit its ‘net zero’ carbon emission targets.

The government is set to make a final decision after it has published its Heat and Buildings Strategy document later this year.

Dan Owen concludes: “Whatever the decision from the government is, our customers can rest assured that we are already planning for the changes needed to help make residential property more environmentally friendly and we will work closely with them and support them as always to ensure we collectively meet whatever targets are put in place.”

For more information on the options available or for guidance on what impact this may have on your development, give the team a call on 01204 325000.

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Published on 20th September 2021