After previously being extended until 2035 reports now suggest the gas boiler ban could be brought forward to 2027 as part of updates to the Future Homes Standard
The government will be consulting on the gas boiler ban and whether it should be brought forward(Image credit: Getty Images)
The UK government plans to enforce a gas boiler ban for most new homes starting in 2027, according to recently outlined Future Homes Standard policies.
This move is part of a broader effort to reduce household carbon emissions and push toward net zero by introducing more efficient, sustainable heating systems, such as air source heat pumps, in place of gas boilers.
Initially announced in 2019, this initiative faced delays but is now reportedly moving forward under the new Labour Government, which aims to finalise the regulatory framework by May 2024, with a phase-in period that would make the ban fully effective by May 2027.
This is everything you need to know about the gas boiler ban, and what it could mean for your home.
Why could the gas boiler ban deadline be moved forward?
The gas boiler ban was initially extended, as with the oil boiler ban, until 2035 after initially aiming to be introduced in 2025. However, this ban could now be brought back forward into 2027.
According to the Financial Times, the final guidance on gas heating phaseout in the Future Homes Standard, which is set to be introduced in 2025, will be laid out by the end of the year, and once legislation is enacted there will be a 12-month transition period to allow developers time to adjust.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed, “We remain committed to delivering highly efficient new homes that will become net zero as the grid decarbonises,” suggesting that all new properties should ideally operate without gas boilers by the decade's end.
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Clive Holland, broadcaster for Fix Radio, the UK’s only national radio station for builders and the trade, said that "this legislation is long overdue" after he and other industry experts, like Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, expressed their disappointment of the ban being extended to 2035.
Clive Holland
Clive Holland is an English tv and radio presenter. From 2009 to 2013 he presented the BBC One daytime show Cowboy Trap. He has also presented other programmes such as GMTV and Channel 4’s ‘Big Big’ Holiday Show and was also author of the book 'House & Home'. He now present his radio show 'The Clive Holland Show'.
What is the gas boiler ban?
The gas boiler ban is part of the government's plan to gradually phase out gas boilers and replace them with more environmentally-friendly gas boiler alternatives.
It will affect those looking to install new boilers existing homes, with gas boilers no longer being permitted. However, there won't be an outright ban on gas boilers, and the Heat & Buildings Strategy confirmed that no one will be forced to remove them from their homes.
To help homeowners move away from natural gas, a Boiler Upgrade Scheme was also launched in April 2022, giving grants of up to £7,500 towards the cost of installing heat pump technology. This is to ensure sustainable heating alternatives cost the same to install as a gas boiler.
Why is there a gas boiler ban?
The government announced a gas boiler ban in 2019 to enhance energy efficiency in the UK's 29 million homes, most of which rely on natural gas heating.
Natural gas boilers are a major obstacle to reaching net zero emissions, producing 58.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually – more than the emissions from 27 million cars. Homes contribute more to climate change than cars, mainly due to poor insulation and gas central heating systems causing heat loss.
By reducing these emissions and offsetting any remaining emissions the impact of climate change can be significantly mitigated.
No one will be forced to remove their gas boilers as part of the government scheme but new gas boilers will be removed by 2025(Image credit: Ideal Boilers Logic+ Boilers Range Quiet Mark (UK))
What gas boiler alternatives are there?
The government is focusing on the development of two key heating systems for the future of home heating in the UK: heat pumps and hydrogen boilers.
Heat pumps offer a climate-friendly heating solution as an alternative to natural gas boilers, however, they are, at present, an expensive technology to install comparatively, with the cost of installing an air source heat pump or ground source heat pumps can range between £6,000-£18,000.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will see new grants of £7,500 available to homeowners installing heat pumps. In some cases, such as with the installation of an air source heat pump, this could bring the cost of installation to a similar level as that of a new gas boiler.
While the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is only set to run until 31 March 2028, the Heat & Buildings Strategy also outlines that the government will work with industry to bring down the cost of heat pumps, ensuring they cost the same to buy and run as gas boilers by 2030.
There are also biomass boilers, which homeowners can also get a £5,000 grant for under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Ground source heat pumps are an energy-saving alternative to natural gas boilers(Image credit: Getty Images)
FAQs
Will my energy bills go up?
The Heat and Buildings Strategy has proposed shifting levies from electricity to gas in order to reduce the running costs of heat pumps. How this will operate is unclear, however, it does mean that energy price rises could continue.
Heat pumps are are three to four times more efficient than traditional boilers, according to the Energy Saving Trust, and a standard air source heat pump installed in an average-sized, four-bedroom detached house would be between £395 and £425 cheaper to run a year than an old “G-rated” gas boiler.
What was the Gas Boiler Scrappage Scheme?
The Gas Boiler Scrappage Scheme was announced by the government in 2009 to help 125,000 homes with a G-rated boiler update to a modern condensing boiler. This was designed to help them reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions.
The voucher scheme was discontinued in 2010 due to funding problems, but you can still find assistance to help lower the cost of replacing an old boiler:
Energy Company Obligation (ECO): this is offered to low-income and vulnerable households to improve their heating through insulation, heating controls and replacing inefficient and broken boilers
Boiler finance: some private lenders will pay for your new boiler in monthly instalments over 3, 5, 7 or 10 years
The potential upcoming ban on gas boilers for new homes under the Future Homes Standard could impact millions of new homeowners.
The impact will also be felt by developers who could see a ban come in sooner than expected.
Whether the ban comes into affect earlier or not it is clear the UK's future is focused away from fossil fuels and towards more renewable alternatives like heat pumps.
News Editor Joseph has previously written for Today’s Media and Chambers & Partners, focusing on news for conveyancers and industry professionals. Joseph has just started his own self build project, building his own home on his family’s farm with planning permission for a timber frame, three-bedroom house in a one-acre field. The foundation work has already begun and he hopes to have the home built in the next year. Prior to this he renovated his family's home as well as doing several DIY projects, including installing a shower, building sheds, and livestock fences and shelters for the farm’s animals. Outside of homebuilding, Joseph loves rugby and has written for Rugby World, the world’s largest rugby magazine.
