A de factoban on gas boilers being installed in new build homes will be announced later this year
Air source heat pumps can keep a home warm for as little as £1.84 a day
The government will reportedly overturn the gas boiler ban
The Labour government is reportedly set to ditch the 2035 ban on new gas boilers in its new housebuilding standards.
According to the i newspaper, a de facto ban on gas boilers being installed in new build homes will be announced later this year, as part of the warm homes plan and will take effect before the end of 2030.
The previously planned gas boiler ban that would see people replacing their old boilers by 2035, with people looking to replace their gas boilers having to install a heat pump or another low-carbon technology instead.
The paper also reported that ministers confirmed that they expect most homes in the UK to adopt heat pumps at some point, as part of plans to remove fossil fuels from the country’s heating systems.
Prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said in November 2024 that he was interested in making sure energy bills were stable, gaining energy independence and along the way, picking up the next generation of jobs.”
The government has been encouraging heat pump installations for years, and is helping homeowners, businesses and landlords lower the cost through The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS).
As of November 2024, more than 62,000 applications have been made, with approximately 60,000 for air-source heat pumps.
Home heating contributes approximately 18% of the UK’s carbon emissions – with an average gas boiler is responsible for more carbon in a year than seven transatlantic flight -, and rolling out low-carbon technology is a key part of the UK’s strategy to get to net zero.
What does it cost to run a heat pump?
Air source heat pumps can keep a home warm for as little as £1.84 a day, according to The Future Homes study, run at the Energy House 2.0 research facility by the University of Salford, Bellway and Barret Redrow and Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland.
The study was the largest ever controlled conditions research project on electrical heating systems, and was carried out over 12 months. Two air source heat pumps were tested, along with underfloor, infrared heating, ambient heating and mechanical ventilation.
Written by
Tamara BirchSenior Writer
Tamara is a London-based journalist and has written about environmental topics for more than four years. This includes advising small business owners on cost-effective ways, like solar panels and energy-efficient products, to help them become more sustainable.
She has used her journalist and research skills to become highly knowledgeable on sustainable initiatives, issues, and solutions to help consumers do their bit for the environment - all while reducing monthly costs.
In addition to adopting sustainable practices in her personal life, Tamara has worked in the retail B2B space to help independent retailers think about their environmental choices and how they can help improve their business. She now uses this knowledge to help consumers do the same.
Her passion for sustainability and eco-friendly solutions stems from a long obsession with nature and animals and ensuring they feel looked after. In her free time, Tamara enjoys reading fantasy novels, visiting the gym, and going on long walks in new areas.
You can get in touch with Tamara via email at tamara.birch@mvfglobal.com.
Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.
In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.
He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.
Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.
As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.
His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.
Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history and ghost stories. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.
Is nuclear fusion the future of clean energy? Nuclear fusion could be the answer to our need for clean and reliable energy. Find out more about nuclear fusion and why it's different from nuclear fission.
