UK government prepares for a hydrogen-ready boilers ban

The government will also be adding gas units to its list that will be banned in new builds. As a result of a delay in consultations for gas- and hydrogen-ready boilers to be installed in new constructions in England as of 2025, those units could be banned and heat pumps may become the new standard. The UK government has now formally supported plans for banning these types of heating systems. The proposals to stop hydrogen-ready boilers could mean that as the UK pushes forward to make all new homes “net zero ready” as of 2025, heat pumps could become the new standard for home heating and cooli…

The government will also be adding gas units to its list that will be banned in new builds.

As a result of a delay in consultations for gas- and hydrogen-ready boilers to be installed in new constructions in England as of 2025, those units could be banned and heat pumps may become the new standard.

The UK government has now formally supported plans for banning these types of heating systems.

The proposals to stop hydrogen-ready boilers could mean that as the UK pushes forward to make all new homes “net zero ready” as of 2025, heat pumps could become the new standard for home heating and cooling. The consultation prohibits homebuilders from using any fossil fuel heating system, including gas, H2-ready boilers, and hybrid heat pumps, after discovering that there was “no practical way to allow the installation of fossil fuel boilers while also delivering significant carbon savings.” The government has placed net zero standards at the very core of its intentions to meet a legally binding net zero emissions target by 2050. That said, consultation regarding the heating systems faced massive delays due to the rising controversy connecting the government and the homebuilding sector.

The consultation for hydrogen-ready boilers and other systems had been scheduled for last March.

The hydrogen-ready boilers consultation was delayed to the summer and was pushed along again to the point that it wouldn’t be touched until the end of the year. The plans for the heating system regulations are now expected to be finalized by March 2024. Environmental groups are accusing the government of delaying the new standards to allow homebuilders to save billions of pounds while simultaneously driving up construction costs. The hydrogen-ready boilers controversy thickened when The Guardian newspaper published a report in which it had found that at least 10 percent of Conservative party donations received since 2010 – around £40 million in total donations – were made from property development companies, real estate investors and others linked with the construction industry.

Heat pumps instead of H2

“Making heat pumps the default heating source for all new homes and banning gas and hydrogen boilers is absolutely the right step for the climate and for households’ energy bills,” said MCS Foundation director David Cowdrey. MCS Foundation provides home energy installer accreditation. “Allowing fossil fuel or hydrogen heating in new homes would have locked in high bills and high carbon emissions for a generation. It is a huge relief that we are escaping that possibility and that the government has recognised the conclusive evidence that heat pumps and heat networks are the only viable option for getting our homes to net zero and ensuring low bills for people in new-build homes.” Ready to test your knowledge on the most abundant element in the universe? Take our fun and engaging Hydrogen Quiz now! [forminator_quiz id="58712"]