What is the boiler phase out and why is this happening?

As part of the government’s commitment to Net Zero by 2050, plans have been outlined to phase out the usage of some high-carbon, fossil fuel heating systems for domestic households in the UK. This has included the discussions of topics such as a gas boiler ban.

The government have outlined a boiler ‘phase out’, which will only apply to new homes built after 2026.

This means that if you are building a brand-new home from the year 2026 onwards, then you must use an alternative heating system.

This legislation will not affect any homes currently using an LPG boiler.

Why is this happening?

In order to achieve net zero by 2050, the government have looked at where large amounts of our greenhouse emissions are currently coming from. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) (2021) stated that buildings are the second highest source of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels (following transport), and therefore the UK cannot achieve net zero unless we implement ‘greener’ methods.

You can find out more information about this below.

Taking stock of the UK Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy - Climate Change Committee (theccc.org.uk)

Phasing out the installation of fossil fuel heating in homes off the gas grid (publishing.service.gov.uk)

How will this affect my LPG boiler?

As the new legislation will only apply to new properties built from 2026 onwards, this will not affect the usage of your current LPG boiler.

Currently there is no legislation concerning a ‘boiler ban’ for homes built before 2026.

However, if a ‘boiler ban’ were to be implemented, this is not something that would come into immediate effect, therefore this is not something that you need to worry about.

Am I able to replace my LPG boiler? (And do I need to?)

Yes, you can still replace your current LPG boiler.

You don’t need to replace your LPG boiler, but If you find that you wish to replace your current LPG boiler for a new one, you are still able to do this. Any homes built before 2026 will still be able to use their current LPG boilers as well as replace them with a new one.

It is predicted that any new houses built after 2026 will need to use an alternative heating system.