What Is The Gas Boiler Ban

Summary

Gas boilers are not being banned. They will no longer be allowed to be installed into new homes after 2025. To help transition homes to heat pumps the government are offering up to £7.500 grants to subsidise costs. However, a lot of homes in the UK will not be suitable for air source heat pumps for many reasons.

For a lot of people, the best thing to do would be to install a new, more efficient boiler. This could be a like for like replacement or a change to a combi or full system boiler.

There is a midway option, however. Boilerhut now offer a hybrid system that utalises both a combi boiler and heat pump together to allow the best of both worlds depending on the weather and cost of fuel at any one time.

To find out more, get a no obligation quote online now.

The Main Things To Know

The question “Can I still buy a gas boiler?” is on most people’s mind after the UK government announced its initiative to phase out fossil fuel heating in homes across the country from 2025.

This so called “gas boiler ban” is a necessary component in the shift to net-zero carbon emissions and reflects the global commitment to reducing the production of greenhouse gases.

Traditional heating methods, such as burning gas and oil, currently add up to one-third of the UK’s carbon emissions.

The problem surrounding gas and oil boilers is that they burn fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases cannot escape the atmosphere and trap the sun’s heat, causing a gradual but significant increase in temperature.

In response to the current climate crisis, the so-called ‘gas boiler ban’ reflects a piece of legislation proposed by the UK government that intends to reduce carbon emissions from new-build properties from 2025 onwards.

In actuality, depending on the context of the question, gas boilers are NOT being banned. The legislation states that gas boilers cannot be installed within new-build properties built after 2025.

Can I Still Upgrade My Gas Boiler?

Unless you plan on investing in a new-build property in 2025, the gas boiler ban likely won’t immediately affect you and your ability to use a gas boiler.

Boiler manufacturers and suppliers are still offering a full selection of reliable and energy-efficient models. There is no indication that this will end anytime soon.

The alternative heat source that has been proposed for new-build properties is heat pumps.

These are devices that pressurise refrigerant gas to increase its temperature and transfer the warmth into the home via a heat exchanger.

There are no fossil fuels burned during the process, resulting in zero carbon emissions. As ideal as this solution is, it is not currently feasible to replace every heating system in homes across the country with heat pumps.

Therefore, upgrading an existing gas boiler continues to be the most cost-effective way to enhance your central heating system.

What If I Have An LPG Or Oil Boiler?

A minor percentage of homes in the UK feature LPG or oil powered boilers. These use alternative fossil fuels that are both more expensive and release larger amounts of carbon when burnt.

Natural gas is a much more affordable alternative and has a lower impact on carbon emissions.

Whether you would rather upgrade your existing LPG boiler or oil boiler to a newer model or transfer to a gas boiler is up to you.

Neither of these options will likely be phased out in the near future with the gas boiler ban.

However, if you are looking to future-proof your home, reduce your energy costs, and lower your carbon footprint, a gas-powered boiler could be a far better choice.

PLEASE NOTE: LPG Boilers converted  to natural gas can only be achieved if there’s a gas network in place.  Off grid areas have the choice of LPG, Oil and Air Source or Ground Source Heat Pumps  or electric boilers.

If you’re choosing an oil boiler, you should choose one with Blue Flame technology and will work with bio oils when offered in the future.

Air Source & Ground Source Heat Pumps

The UK government are currently offering a Boiler Upgrade Scheme to help you move from fossil fuels to Air Source and Ground Source Heat Pumps.

You can get one grant per property. As of October 2023, grants are available for:

• £7,500 towards an air source heat pump
• £7,500 towards a ground source heat pump (including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops)
• £5,000 towards a biomass boiler

Properties that would benefit from Air Source or Ground Source Heat Pumps are new builds with with low heat loss figures, and they work at low temperature which means they are ideally suited to UFH as opposed to radiators.

If retrofitted, Air Source Heat Pumps require high flow rate and temperatures.  Property heat loss, pipe sizes and radiators are restricting factors and may require an increase in size.

Electric boilers are only suitable for small homes/flats.  For larger homes you may require a 3 phase supply, which is very costly.

What About Hydrogen Boilers?

In recent years, there has been significant speculation over the introduction of Hydrogen gas into the existing gas supply.  This fuel is far greener than fossil fuels and will be much cheaper in supply.

Reports suggest that in light of the gas boiler ban, the UK government could be preparing to introduce  20% Hydrogen gas into the existing supply by the end of 2023. This will mark a considerable shift towards net-zero emissions as it is predicted that a 20% hydrogen blend would save around 6 million mt/year of carbon dioxide.

In order to benefit from this fuel blend, domestic boilers need to be prepared to run on hydrogen-mixed fuel.

Several boiler manufacturers have led the market on this occasion with hydrogen-ready models available now for installation in homes across the UK.

Brands such as Viessmann and Worcester Bosch have adjusted their existing line of reliable appliances to accommodate the high-temperature heating system required for hydrogen blends.

Therefore if you are looking to upgrade your boiler in 2023, a hydrogen-ready boiler will enable you to future-proof your home and contribute to a greener society.

Final Thoughts

Significant attention has been paid to the rapidly rising temperatures that result in environmental degradation, weather extremes and natural disasters.

The current climate crisis has ignited action across much of the globe. This has left many wondering whether they are able to keep or upgrade the gas boiler within their home. For now, the only homes that will be banned from featuring gas boilers are new builds from 2025 onwards.

Whilst heat pumps provide an eco-friendly alternative, the infrastructure required to replace every boiler in the UK would be near-impossible. Instead, the introduction of hydrogen blended gas into the national grid provides a shift towards greener energy supplies.

Therefore, if you are looking to upgrade your boiler in 2023, choosing a hydrogen-ready model could prove beneficial. For expert advice surrounding the selection and installation of a hydrogen-ready boiler, contact Boilerhut. We make purchasing a new gas boiler hassle-free with online quotations and UK-wide installation.