Seven out of ten homeowners support delay to oil and LPG boiler ban

You’d have to be living under a rock to miss the current news about the Prime Minister’s changes to the UK’s net zero emissions policy.

The PM announced he will delay banning oil and LPG boiler installations in off-grid homes until 2035. Sunak’s plans significantly water down the Government’s original strategy to phase out the installation of these boilers by 2026, instead aiming for only an 80 percent phase-out.

Environmentalists are concerned by the news, but what do the general public think about it?

We decided to find out, so we surveyed British homeowners to see how they felt about the changes. The results show that 69 percent support Rishi Sunak’s plan to delay the ban, whilst amongst the over 55s, this leapt to 76 percent.

There was also a split geographically, with Belfast being the city most in support of the delay, at 86 percent. Other notable statistics include:

• Cardiff was the city second most in support of the delay, with 79 percent supportive
• Norwich and Edinburgh were also high at 74 percent
• Liverpool and Brighton were the least in favour of a delay, at 58 percent

The research also looked at opinions from supporters of different political parties. Conservative voters polled were overwhelmingly supportive of the delay, with 86 percent agreeing. However, Labour supporters were far less supportive, with just 45 percent favouring delay. Perhaps surprisingly, Green Party supporters were more supportive of the move than Labour voters, with 50 percent agreeing with the decision.

Jack Coles, a heating specialist from MyBuilder.com, said: “While we of course appreciate that this may not be welcome news from a green perspective, many will be breathing a sigh of relief. The current alternatives to gas and oil boilers have historically been very expensive, and require research to source the best solution for your home.

“Some extra time will not only allow homeowners to work out the best option for their homes but also give manufacturers the chance to come up with new innovations that may make these alternatives more affordable.”

The Prime Minister also announced that grants for people under the boiler upgrade scheme would be increased by 50 percent, going up to £7,500 - which may benefit many Brits.

Jack added: “Any support for homeowners in these difficult times is great news. Hopefully, the grants will be easy to apply for, and a delayed ban will give many Brits the time they need to get these in place.

“One provider recently unveiled a new heat pump design that, with current government support through subsidies, can be installed for free in some homes, and for just £3,000 in those that need upgrades including insulation. These costs will go down as competition increases and more people install heat pumps. Heat pumps are also cheaper to operate than gas boilers if homes are well insulated.”

Changes to timelines for boiler bans are not unique to the UK. Other areas of Europe have seen similar decisions taken, including Germany, where their parliament did a huge U-turn, after months of outcry about the cost of new systems.