Thursday 21 April 2022

Government urged to ban gas boilers to boost heat pump rollout

The government has been urged to introduce a ban on the sale of new gas boilers to encourage more people to install heat pumps in their homes.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, said: "Why would you move to a heat pump at between £5,000 to £15,000 when you can buy or exchange for a new gas boiler for £1,500.

"The only way you can make such a significant swift is by saying from a particulate date, you won't be able to buy a new gas boiler."

The BEIS Committee had previously suggested the government failed to give industry and consumers a clear date to work towards decarbonising home heating.

A few months ago, responding to the publication of the government's Heat and Buildings Strategy, Sir John Armitt said: "Kickstarting the heat pump market to reduce costs for households to make the switch from gas boilers is an important step, but progress will need to be monitored closely.

"While we welcome the government’s ambition to improve the energy efficiency of homes and other buildings, the continued lack of specific targets for the number of insulation installations makes it difficult to measure progress."

FNZ has approached BEIS for a response.