By 2027 gas boilers will be outlawed on new build homes, under plans set to be announced by the Labour government, The Financial Times reports.
It’s predicted that the gas boiler ban will be unveiled in May, with legislation taking effect in 2026. After that it’s expected there will be 12-month transition period for housebuilders.
There will be exemptions to the ban.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We remain committed to delivering highly efficient new homes that will become net zero as the grid decarbonises.
“All options set out in the future homes standard consultation would result in significant emissions reductions compared to previous standards.”
The plan follows a consultation on the Future Homes Standard by the previous Conservative government, while it aims to slash emissions by 80%.
The legislation is likely to accelerate the adoption of ground and air source heat pumps, which run on electricity and are the most common alternative to gas boilers.
Steve Turner, executive director of the Home Builders Federation lobby group, said: “We need to make sure the heat pump supply chain will be in place.
“At the minute, we’re only installing about 35,000 a year – to go from there to up to 300,000 a year, plus additional ones fitted to existing homes, the supply chain will need a significant scale-up.
“If you’re not using gas for heating, that will load more on to the grid. We need to make sure there’s enough resilience within that.”
