Claims reported include that boilers won’t be banned for new builds as part of the Future Homes Standard, and that plans to ban them from being installed in existing homes after 2035 will now be ‘scrapped’ as part of a government ‘U-turn’.
So what is the situation?
On the Future Homes Standard, effectively nothing has changed at this time. Gas boilers will not meet the proposed new standards for new builds, which means low carbon heating technologies, such as heat pumps, would become the de facto default.
The final position on this will be confirmed when the outcome of the FHS consultation is published at some point this year.
The future of gas boilers in existing homes is more problematic.
The former Conservative government had publicised plans to phase out the installation of gas boilers by 2035, meaning that as and when boilers failed after that time, homeowners would have to replace them with an alternative, lower carbon, heating source.
However, this plan was never consulted on or, crucially, legislated for.
Labour previously said it wouldn’t pursue 2035 target
Before being elected, Ed Miliband, the now Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), indicated Labour wouldn’t be sticking with the previous government’s 2035 target, opting instead for measures which increased the appeal of heat pumps.
In response to the latest headlines about a boiler ban U-turn, a DESNZ spokesperson said: “The energy shocks of recent years have shown the urgent need to upgrade British homes and our Warm Homes Plan will make them cheaper and cleaner to run, rolling out upgrades from new insulation to solar and heat pumps.
“We will not force anyone to rip out a working boiler and are making heat pumps more affordable by providing £7,500 towards the cost through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
“We recognise there is still more to do to encourage consumers to switch to low-carbon alternatives such as heat pumps, and have recently announced plans to remove planning constraints to make them easier to install.”
The statement also highlighted the following points:
- The previous government never consulted on or legislated for a ban on new gas boilers from 2035.
- More details on our approach will be set out through the Warm Homes Plan later this year.
- We have almost doubled the budget for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in the next financial year to £295 million, along with allocating an extra £30 million for the rest of this financial year. This will allow more households to take up the offer of £7,500 off the cost of a heat pump.
- We will help more households in England to install an air source heat pump without the need to submit a planning application from this year, by removing the rule requiring them to be installed at least one metre from a property’s boundary. This will provide greater flexibility, with rules still in place around listed buildings.
- Families with a heat pump can save around £100 a year compared to a gas boiler by using a smart tariff effectively.
There are also other factors at play that point towards an approach that is more carrot than stick; encouraging people to want heat pumps, rather than forcing them to have them.
In addition to the extending of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, there’s also the Clean Heat Market Mechanism which is going ahead from April 1, albeit with a lower penalty rate, and proposed EPC reform which could negatively impact homes with fossil fuel based heating.
However, while recent reports of a U-turn or scrapping of a ban by this particular government may be refuted, there’s no denying that many in industry thought such a ban would be forthcoming, and were planning accordingly.
Some have voiced their disappointment at the prospect of it not going ahead.
‘This would undermine one of the UK’s fastest-growing sectors’
Daniel Särefjord, Aira UK CEO, said: “Should the government decide to scrap the 2035 ban on the installation of new gas boilers it will be a backward step that jeopardises the UK’s progress toward achieving its net zero targets. This decision would risk undermining one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK and sends confusing signals to an industry poised to lead the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy, as well as people across the country.
“New figures from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) show that nearly 60,000 heat pumps were installed across the UK in 2024, a record-breaking achievement and a 100% increase on 2022. This remarkable growth confirms that the heat pump sector is not only ready to rise to the challenge but is also one of the UK’s most dynamic and rapidly expanding industries.
“Building on this momentum, I am confident that when the government provides implementation dates for planning permission changes, removes additional policy red tape and starts to deliver clear communication to homeowners and businesses, heat pump sales could surpass six figures in 2025.
“A hard ban on the installation of new gas boilers by 2035 would provide an unambiguous signal to the heating industry and investors that it is time to divest from fossil fuels and fossil fuel-related products and services. Clear policy commitments like this are essential for accelerating the shift to greener and cleaner technologies, and helps to position the UK as a global leader in sustainable innovation.”
‘Government should recommit to phasing out boilers’
The Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE), which represents more than 160 organisations from across the energy sector, wants this government to commit to phasing out fossil fuel boilers.
Caroline Bragg, ADE Chief Executive Officer , said: “We are disappointed to hear reports that plans to phase out fossil boilers by 2035 may not be going ahead. We know to meet our net zero targets, heat decarbonisation needs to happen at pace – this can only occur with strong signals to industry and consumers.
“Weak signals and watered-down policy will jeopardise billions in green heating investment at the time when we need it the most.”
What do you think? Is a hard ban on boilers needed to encourage demand at the levels needed? Write to us at news@renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk.
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