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In 2019, the UK government announced that gas and oil boilers would be banned. According to government spokespersons, the gas boiler ban aimed to help the UK achieve net-zero gas emissions, a goal currently set for 2050, by reducing the CO2 generated by natural gas-fueled heating systems.
The ban was supposed to start in 2025, but Rishi Sunak changed his mind in September 2023 and pushed it back. The ban will only apply to homes built after 2035. For the time being, it will not affect homes that already have an oil—or gas-powered boiler installed.
As you might expect, this ban’s many ups and downs have caused a lot of misunderstanding among property owners, who are now racing to replace their old gas boilers before the deadline. But this isn’t always necessary in many situations, as we’ll see in this guide.
Debunking Gas Boiler Ban Myths
Myth1- Gas boilers sales are being banned
FACT: You can still buy a new gas boiler; there is no current ban on the sale or installation of gas boilers.
As things stand, the government’s plan to support an organised move away from fossil fuel-based heating systems is to ban the installation of gas boilers in new homes. No new gas boilers will be put in newly built homes after 2035.
The important thing to remember is that once the ban comes into effect, you’ll still be able to use, buy, and install gas boilers in preexisting homes (i.e., those made before 2035). The planned limits are not set to be all-encompassing, so you may only find that the changes touch you if you decide to move into or build a new home after 2035.
Myth2- You have to get rid of your current gas boiler by 2035
FACT: You can leave your existing gas boiler by 2035.
The primary myth that has everyone in a panic is that if they have a gas boiler in their home today, they must change it before the 2035 deadline.
The gas boiler ban only applies to new boilers placed in new-build homes, not to any old houses. New homes built from 2035 onwards must have an alternative heating method. Solar power and electrical boilers or heat pumps are often new, efficient options.
Although no current legal requirement exists to replace gas boilers, government benefits exist for installing green energy heating options. The Domestic Green Heat Incentive is one plan that gives regular payments to homeowners who rely on green sources for home heating.
However, funding and grants for green energy sources can be restricted in terms of cost and time scales, meaning some property owners may need help to make the major infrastructure changes needed to switch from a gas-based heating system.
Learn more about what’s being taken out and what will replace gas boilers in 2035.
Myth3- Gas boilers are being phased out entirely
FACT: The government’s current goal is to work with manufacturers to encourage an 80% reduction in gas boilers in UK homes by 2035.
The government plans to bring about a slow phase-out of gas boilers in the UK to see an 80% drop by 2035. No absolutes or official limits are put on this, which is a policy turn from the original statement of a total ban.
The plan urges UK homes to decide that gas boilers aren’t the future of domestic central heating through education and incentivised alternatives.
Part of this process will likely involve more major investment in cleaner technologies, such as hybrid heat pumps and solar panels, and easy access to funding to help people switch from standard boilers.
Additionally, new homes will be made to far tighter fuel economy standards, with better insulation, to ensure they can work as we need them to while using less energy.
Myth4- You will be fined if you do not replace your oil or gas boiler by 2035
FACT: The UK government will not impose fines on those who have not replaced their oil or gas boilers by 2035.
Following comments by the International Energy Agency (IEA), some people have grown worried about having fines of up to £10,000 if they don’t replace their gas boiler by 2035.
The UK government has yet to say that it plans to take this attitude and issue fines to homes that cannot afford to move to low-carbon heating systems.
Properties with gas boilers installed may be pushed to update to a lower-carbon heating system, such as a hybrid heat pump, but it won’t be required.
Myth5- You must switch to a new boiler, even if the ban does not apply to your existing boiler
FACT: Switching to a new or alternative boiler isn’t compulsory.
The government wants to begin cutting out gas boilers from 2035 onwards by targeting new-build homes only. In reality, if you’re already living in or moving into a pre-existing house (whether it was built in 2033 or 1923), you won’t need to switch out your boiler for a new or alternative home heating system.
That said, some homes improve their boilers because they know it will save them money in the long run. A new A-rated boiler will outperform an older, less efficient boiler by a country mile, making financial and environmental sense to switch.
Learn more about improving your boiler by reading our tips on the pros and cons of electric and gas boilers, the best type of boiler for your home, and the possible savings you could make by moving to a more efficient model.
Replace Your Gas Boiler Today!
Myth6- In the UK, Gas and oil boilers are no longer for sale
FACT: You can still purchase gas and oil boilers; there is no current ban on selling or installing these types of boilers in the UK.
You can still buy a new one if you have an older gas or oil boiler in your home. Modern gas boilers are extremely efficient (up to 95% more so than their predecessors), so even if your present system isn’t broken, you may still wish to consider replacing it with a new, A-rated model.
Investing in a high-efficiency boiler makes total sense both environmentally and economically. With better insulation and more advanced interior technologies (such as condensation lines to recover hot water instead of letting the heat energy escape into the atmosphere), a modern boiler will mean you use less fuel when heating your home and giving hot water to your taps, baths, and showers.
Myth7- You can only swap to electric boilers
FACT: Electric boilers are one of many options for replacing your gas boiler.
Although the government has stated that it plans to support a slow shift away from gas and oil boilers, this process will likely take many years, given how reliant we are on this type of home heating system in the UK.
For this reason, standard oil—and gas-powered boilers will still be available for purchase if you wish to continue using them.
Of course, if you decide an electric boiler, hybrid heat pump, or biomass boiler best meets your household’s heating and hot water needs, you can also get one of these choices.
The myths surrounding a total switch over to electric heating have partly arisen due to misunderstandings about the carbon pollution produced by different types of boilers. While gas and oil boilers release greenhouse gases as waste when running, electric boilers aren’t carbon neutral, either. The creation of energy in the UK at a national level does result in large amounts of CO2 being released into the atmosphere, so electric boilers aren’t entirely eco-friendly.
Myth8- You’ll have to install a heat pump instead when the gas boiler ban comes into effect
FACT: You will not be compelled to install a heat pump, and most UK properties will have to be significantly more insulated before this can be a viable choice.
While the UK government indicated that heat pumps will play an important role in helping us move towards a low-carbon future, homes are not obliged to replace their gas boilers with an air—or ground-source heat pump.
Instead, the government plans to support the adoption of heat pumps and mixed heat pumps by trying to make them more cheap and available (although it’s unclear as of yet exactly when and how this will happen).
In a statement released in July 2023, the UK government reviewed its goal to support the sale and installation of approximately 600,000 heat pumps yearly by 2028, admitting the obstacles that would make achieving this difficult. For heat pumps to become the main home heating system, significant changes to the UK’s housing stock would need to be made, as current houses don’t have the fitting room needed.
If your home has enough room, government funds are available to help cover the costs of adding a heat pump. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, for example, offers up to £7,500 of funding* per property. *At present, funding is only available for improvements to air-source and ground-source heat pumps, not for mixed heat pump systems.
Myth9- Heat pumps are cost-effective alternatives to gas boilers
FACT: The expenses linked to heat pumps are much greater than gas boilers.
There’s no exemption from the fact that, at present, the starting cost of a heat pump is far greater than that of a standard gas heater. While you can replace an old gas combi boiler with a new, A-rated boiler for around £1,500, you could be paying upwards of £8,500 (sometimes even more than £15,000, based on the type and size) for a heat pump.
By comparison, hybrid heat pumps (an air-source heat pump paired with a carefully designed gas heater) are a more reasonable choice. Prices, including installation, start from £5,595 when you buy and install through a trusted service like us.
When we compare the running prices of heat pumps and gas boilers, several things come into play. On the one hand, heat pumps are somewhat more efficient than boilers, so they can heat your home using less energy. On the other hand, heat pumps use electricity, which is more expensive per unit than natural gas (27p/kWh compared with 7p/kWh, based on the October to December 2023 price cap).
Myth10- When you eventually replace your gas boiler, it will be costly
FACT: Reputable manufacturers offer a wide range of new boilers at price points to suit all budgets and capacity requirements.
Okay, so upgrading or repairing your boiler isn’t a cost you want to cover every other week, but luckily, you don’t have to.
When selected, installed and commissioned properly, a new boiler is a one-off purchase that will turn your house into your home.
We estimate that a new boiler can cost as little as £1,795. That includes fitting by a Gas Safe licensed expert, all devices, smart heating controls, flue, and guarantee. Plus, when you take care of your boiler by getting a trained worker to perform its yearly service and health checks, you can expect it to last 15 years.
What’s more, it’s important to consider the upfront costs involved with a new gas boiler against the possible savings you could make yearly on your home’s energy bills. If you update an inefficient boiler (one with an E, F, or even G rating for energy efficiency), you can lower your heating expenses by hundreds of pounds each year, which will help offer a return on investment over your boiler’s lifespan.
Replace Your Gas Boiler Today!
Myth11- You won't be able to install a gas boiler in Scotland
FACT: Gas boilers can still be bought and installed in Scotland.
In the summer of 2023, the Scottish Parliament reviewed and updated its plans to ban gas-powered heating systems in residential and non-domestic buildings. This rule will come into force in the spring of 2024.
However, as in the rest of the UK, this law will only apply to new builds, meaning that those living in Scotland’s current housing stock can still buy and install gas boilers after this date.
So, for now, the SNP’s plan looks to be following in Westminster’s tracks and working towards a more gradual phasing out by stopping the installation of gas boilers in new homes. This policy shift ensures that the people and companies that rely on gas-powered heating systems don’t bear the pain of the country’s larger efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.
Myth12- You won't be allowed to replace your home’s central heating system with a gas boiler
FACT: You may still replace your heating system with a gas boiler.
The word ‘ban’ is a bit confusing, as gas boilers will still be allowed in many cases since the so-called ‘ban’ only applies to newly built houses.
Rather than outright ban the sale and installation of gas boilers, the government wants to lower the number of houses that use them. This means that while we’ll probably see more ads supporting the purchase of environmentally friendly home heating systems, homeowners can still buy and use gas boilers.
Why will this be the case in the near future? Most UK homes are made to use gas-powered heating systems, meaning it would be technically and financially impossible to ban them overnight.
What’s more, gas boilers are still the cheapest heating system to buy and install. So having them in place for the time being will be important for ensuring that UK residents can heat their homes. Especially since the cost-of-living problem is hitting us all in one way or another.
Heat Your Home With Us
Here, we’re on a mission to make it easier and more affordable for you to heat your home. Moreover, if you want to upgrade your home’s heating system, luckily, there is a government support ECO4 scheme, which aims to provide innovative and smart heating grants to low-income households in the UK who can’t afford them. If you are eligible for this scheme, you can take advantage.
Our team of experts provides the installation of heating systems like boilers, heat pumps, and insulation.
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