The UK Gas Boiler Ban: Everything You Need To Know

✔ By 2025, gas boilers will be banned from newly built houses ✔ By 2035, the UK will phase out all gas boiler installations ✔ Fill out our short form to get a boiler quote from a local installer In a bid to reduce emissions, the UK government has announced a ban on gas boilers – and it’s caused quite the controversy. Since 14% of UK emissions come from domestic energy use (Climate Change Committee, 2019), banning gas boilers is a major move to help the country hit its net zero by 2050 target. And given the global gas shortage that’s causing a number of energy firms to go bust, a move away from gas can’t come soon enough. Worried about how you’ll heat your home without a gas boiler? Scroll down to find out everything you need to know about the boiler ban, including when it’s coming into place, who it’ll affect, and which alternatives homeowners can use. You can also get ahead of the game by looking at different boiler options – which is where we come in. To receive free boiler quotes, all you have to do is pop a few details in our easy-to-use tool, and we’ll put you in touch with experts in the area. This way, you’ll find the best deal for your property.

What’s in this article?

• 01 When are gas boilers being banned?

• 02 Why is the government banning gas boilers?

• 03 How will you be affected by the gas boiler ban?

• 04 What are the alternatives to gas boilers?

• 05 Fossil fuels vs renewables

• 06 What’s the verdict?

When are gas boilers being banned? In 2021, the government released its Heat and Buildings Strategy, which outlines the changes that will come into place over the next few years to make UK buildings more environmentally friendly. When it comes to banning gas boilers, the strategy is split into two phases, which we’ve outlined below. Phase one: 2025 From 2025, gas boilers will be banned from all new builds. However, the government’s plans are still very early days, which means this rule isn’t 100% cemented just yet. When it comes to making all new builds low-carbon by 2025, the Heat and Buildings Strategy simply states that the government will “consult on ending new connections to the gas grid”. Phase two: 2035 In addition to the 2025 goal, the Heat and Buildings Strategy also states that it's aiming to phase out the installation of natural gas boilers beyond 2035. This means that if your boiler goes kaput after 2035, you’ll need to install a low-carbon alternative, rather than a new gas or oil boiler. Despite gas boilers being phased out within the next decade and a bit, they're still a cheaper alternative to electric boilers right now.

Why is the government banning gas boilers? As countries around the world continue to pump emissions into the atmosphere, climate change is getting worse. That’s why the UK has set out to be net zero by 2050 – and banning gas boilers is just the first of several steps designed to help reach this goal. According to the Climate Change Committee, around 14% of UK greenhouse gas emissions come from domestic energy use – mostly from our gas boilers keeping us toasty. But if we want our country to be net zero by 2050, we need to drastically reduce this figure.

How will you be affected by the gas boiler ban? No one will be affected by the gas boiler ban just yet. But anyone who moves into a home built from 2025 onwards will have to use low-carbon heating methods. Thankfully, the government has suggested that these new builds should already have low-carbon alternatives installed. Anyone building their own property from 2025 onwards will also have to consider installing low-carbon heating options themselves. If this applies to you, make sure to check out any government grants that are currently available for UK homeowners – you could get up to £6,000 off a ground source heat pump by using the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. However, this is something that most people will be impacted by over the next few decades, as the UK edges towards a gas-free future. Will you have to stop using your gas boiler? Since 85% of UK homes are still heated by carbon-heavy natural gas, the gas boiler ban will end up impacting most Brits eventually – but the changes for existing homes won’t be brought in until 2035. Before you panic, note that no one will be forced to remove their existing boilers after this date, according to the government. Instead, homeowners will have to look for alternatives once their existing boiler comes to the end of its life.