In the coming years, we’ll all need to make significant changes to our lives for the good of the planet, including adjustments in how we heat our homes and commercial properties. This has become more apparent in recent years, as the UK Government has committed to reducing the country’s carbon emissions to zero by 2050.
A vital part of reducing emissions across the country will be a gas boiler ban, which has understandably left many homeowners concerned. The commercial heating engineers working at Accurate Mechanical Services can help property owners across London and the South East & West of England by making necessary changes or repairs to installed heating systems.
So what will a gas boiler ban mean for you, and what heating alternatives exist?
Why is the Boiler Ban Happening?
Currently, 95% of UK homes use a central heating system, with most of those using gas or oil-fired boilers, making these types of heating responsible for around 15% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
This is such an issue because these boilers use fossil fuels, releasing carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change when burned. The UK Government understands that profound changes need to be made to reduce the greenhouse gases created by properties across the country. They, therefore, became the first major country to confirm that their greenhouse gas emissions will be net-zero by 2050.
What Does the Gas Boiler Ban Mean?
The large percentage of carbon emissions that come from gas heaters means that banning these boilers is one of the best ways to take a big step in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that the UK creates. However, the number of UK homeowners that this will affect could create big problems, with a financial impact on millions of people across the country.
As a gas boiler ban will affect many people, the process will be gradually rolled out. We now know that the first step of this process will be a ban for gas boilers to be installed within new-build homes, as this is much easier than changing boilers within existing properties. So when will this process begin, and what will the following steps be?
When Will They Be Banned?
The current plans mean that a UK gas and oil boiler ban for new build homes will begin from 2025. However, there are over 25 million homes in the UK, and only 160,000 new builds are completed every year, so the government needs to introduce more than a new build gas boiler ban to meet its 2050 deadline for zero emissions.
Ever since this initiative was first discussed, it has been expected that a gas boiler ban for existing homes would be announced for 2035. However, the plan is currently more lenient than that, with this date instead being the deadline for all new boiler installations to use low-carbon technology.
Therefore, if you currently have a gas boiler that is working well enough to heat your property for the foreseeable future, you don’t have to worry about being forced to install a low-carbon alternative.
UK Incentives for Alternative Heating
Although no one in the UK with a working gas boiler will be forced to replace their unit, it’s worth considering the eco-friendly alternatives available to see if you’d be able to positively contribute towards climate change.
Several schemes are available to UK property owners, including the Renewable Heat Incentive and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which can help homeowners pay for a renewable heating system such as a biomass boiler or a heat pump. Our Gas Safe registered engineers at Accurate Mechanical Services are trained to install air source heat pumps, one of the most talked-about heating alternatives on the market.
Air source heat pumps take heat from outside a property to power your heating and hot water systems, cutting out the need for harmful substances. For more information about grants for heat pump systems, read our blog post, which discusses them and their running costs in more detail.
Request a Boiler Service or Heat Pump Installation Today
If you’re a property owner, it’s vital that you use trusted commercial heating engineers such as those here at Accurate Mechanical Services to carry out any commercial boiler repairs or annual boiler services that are required. Alternatively, if you live in a new build or a modern home and are willing to invest in the future, we can also install air source heat pumps to provide a more sustainable way of heating your property.
Whichever option you prefer, get in touch with our friendly team at Accurate Mechanical Services to learn more.