- The government plans to scrap 2035 gas boiler ban
- A de facto ban on gas boilers being installed in new build homes will be announced later this year
- Air source heat pumps can keep a home warm for as little as £1.84 a day
The Labour government is reportedly set to ditch the 2035 ban on new gas boilers in its new housebuilding standards.
According to the i newspaper, a de facto ban on gas boilers being installed in new build homes will be announced later this year, as part of the warm homes plan and will take effect before the end of 2030.
The previously planned gas boiler ban that would see people replacing their old boilers by 2035, with people looking to replace their gas boilers having to install a heat pump or another low-carbon technology instead.
The paper also reported that ministers confirmed that they expect most homes in the UK to adopt heat pumps at some point, as part of plans to remove fossil fuels from the country’s heating systems.
Prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said in November 2024 that he was interested in making sure energy bills were stable, gaining energy independence and along the way, picking up the next generation of jobs.”
The government has been encouraging heat pump installations for years, and is helping homeowners, businesses and landlords lower the cost through The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS).
As of November 2024, more than 62,000 applications have been made, with approximately 60,000 for air-source heat pumps.
Home heating contributes approximately 18% of the UK’s carbon emissions – with an average gas boiler is responsible for more carbon in a year than seven transatlantic flight -, and rolling out low-carbon technology is a key part of the UK’s strategy to get to net zero.
What does it cost to run a heat pump?
Air source heat pumps can keep a home warm for as little as £1.84 a day, according to The Future Homes study, run at the Energy House 2.0 research facility by the University of Salford, Bellway and Barret Redrow and Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland.
The study was the largest ever controlled conditions research project on electrical heating systems, and was carried out over 12 months. Two air source heat pumps were tested, along with underfloor, infrared heating, ambient heating and mechanical ventilation.
