Gas boilers as the heart of central heating systems have been the conventional way of heating our homes, workplaces, and public buildings for decades, with the invention of the first gas boiler dating back to 1868. However, with the government’s new stances on being ‘greener’ and the way we heat our homes, this could all be about to change.
What is the Government’s new stance on ‘green heating’?
Gas boilers have been widely used for decades- so you may ask, why is this changing? Conventional gas boilers have been seen as an affordable and easy way of heating people’s homes for a long time but what people didn’t realise was the impact that such wide usage was having on the environment. The process of heating homes is one of the largest emitters of carbon in the UK due to the extensive use of fossil fuels, this was evident in 2019 with the residential usage of energy being a cause for 19% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the UK.
With such mass amounts of carbon being produced from just heating our homes, it is an unsustainable model for homes in the UK to continuously be heated in this manner. This has invoked the government into launching a new set of regulations to reduce the amount of carbon being emitted by the way heat our homes. The Government has proposed a 2025 ban on the installation of new gas boilers in new developments and there has also been a suggestion of creating initiatives which encourage people to make their homes greener by Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.
Why is there an impending phasing out of gas boilers?
This proposed initiative from the government to stop the installation of gas boilers into new developments from the start of 2025, is to contribute to their promise of being net-carbon zero before 2050. With fossil fuels like coal emitting up to 8,280kg of carbon a year from just one house through practices like heating, it was inevitable that the government had to take a stance on the way we heat our homes, workplaces and public buildings.
As fears grow over the rate of global warming, a report by the IPCC shows the earth has heated more in the last 50 years than in the previous 2000– statistics like this labelled “a code red for humanity” show a need to start massively decreasing the amount of carbon emitted. Banning gas boilers from new developments is a starting point to achieve this in the UK and it means that contractors and development companies will have to look for new alternative ways to heat buildings than the currently widely used gas boiler.
What are the alternative ways of heating that contractors and developers could use?
The whole idea of preventing the use of gas boilers is to ensure that the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere is lowered meaning that these new ways of heating our homes need to be low-carbon emitters. With gas boilers being unsustainable, there are various low-carbon ways of heating homes including:
Heat sources:
- Air source heat pumps
- Ground source heat pumps
- Solar power
- Water source heat pumps
- Biomass boilers
- Electric combi boilers
Compatible heating systems:
- Underfloor heating
- Heat interface units like Calefa
How can underfloor heating serve as a low-carbon alternative?
Underfloor heating is compatible with renewable energy sources like heat pumps, solar thermal power and wood heating meaning lower carbon levels are emitted in the process of heating homes and buildings when paired with such heat sources. Underfloor heating’s use of floor and convection heat means that there is a comfortable balance of heat between the floor and ceiling. This ability to use both heat sources means that less energy is used than a traditional radiator as UFH covers a much larger surface area, therefore allowing for more even distribution of heat and energy-efficient way of heating.
The harmonious and continuous usage of an air or ground source heat pump with an underfloor heating system is a great way to heat homes in a low-carbon manner. This report from Greater London Authorities provides great insight into how heat pumps could be the future of heating.
Find out more about how underfloor heating can serve as a low-carbon alternative in our blog here.
Who does this impending phasing out of gas boilers affect?
The impending phasing out of new gas boilers in new developments is mainly aimed at developers and contractors to encourage the usage of low-carbon heat sources. The ‘ban’ is introduced linear with the Government’s promise to be net carbon zero by 2050 as part of the Paris Agreement. The phasing out will only include new developments and will not affect property owners. However, they may be encouraged to do the same and switch to a lower-carbon heating solution soon.
When will the ‘ban’ come into effect?
The UK Government have earmarked the start of 2025 as the start date for gas boilers to be no longer installed in new properties and construction projects. However, there were reports that the government were going to bring the ‘ban’ forward to 2023 but these plans have since been abolished and some reports that it could be pushed back to 2040– so the date could be subject to change in the near future.
