The i newspaper claims that the policy of banning new gas boilers from 2035 is to be dropped.

The previous Conservative Government introduced a ban on the replacement of existing gas boilers with new ones from 2035. This restriction may now be scrapped.

However, gas boilers will not be permitted in new-build properties as they will not meet green guidelines under a new ‘warm homes plan’, which will be introduced in 2025. This is part of the Government’s drive to rapidly escalate the overall use of heat pumps.

The article states the Government will try to persuade homeowners with existing gas boilers to switch to pumps by extending a £7,500 subsidy. Latest data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero shows that the mean cost of an air source heat pump since the start of the subsidy scheme was £13,287 including the grant value.

For landlords the dropping of the restriction may not be of much benefit as the Government is upgrading the minimum EPC rating for private rented property to C by 2030 and proposing to downgrade gas boilers in a new EPC rating system to be introduced in 2026. The two policies combined will penalise the installation of a gas boiler in rental properties.

The benefit of heat pumps to tenants have also been questioned by epIMS, an EPC and energy information platform developed for landlord. The firm states that heat pumps may be more efficient, but not necessarily more cost effective.

Their figures show the total estimated annual bill for heating and hot water when using a ground source heat pump is £806, just £9 cheaper than a traditional gas boiler, whilst an air source heat pump will cost £1,001 a year which is £186 more expensive than a traditional gas boiler.