‘I do not want to be in a position where I say to people: ‘You must go down this road’ and then people say to me rightly: ‘Look, you’re going to make me worse off’’. So that’s our position on that’
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has confirmed the Government has no intention of implementing a ban on gas boilers in the future, highlighting concerns over the costs for consumers.
Addressing the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee this Wednesday, Mr Miliband expressed his hesitation about imposing a ban on gas boilers by a certain date, without being able to ensure more affordable, greener alternatives.
Despite gas heating in homes being a major contributor to the UK’s carbon emissions, and the previous Conservative government suggesting a ban on new gas boilers by 2035 to push homeowners towards eco-friendlier heating options like heat pumps, the policy faced adjustments under former prime minister Rishi Sunak in 2023. Sunak faced backlash from scientists, activists, and MPs when he softened the proposed ban to an 80% reduction by 2035.
Moreover, last week’s it was reported that the new Government had abandoned the 2035 gas boiler ban in its latest building regulations.
During the committee’s inquiry, MPs probed Mr Miliband on the issue, to which he responded Labour had never intended to mandate such a ban, saying: “There isn’t going to be a ban because Rishi Sunak… well, they never legislated for the ban and then he said he wasn’t going to do it,” and clarified, “The answer is that we said in our manifesto that we weren’t going to force anyone to rip out their gas boiler.
“I’m very cautious on these questions because we can say to people: ‘You need to get a heat pump, not a gas boiler, potentially at some point in the future’ but I’m very wary that we’re going to stop people having gas boilers at a point when we can’t guarantee that heat pumps are going to be cheaper for people.”
The Energy Secretary went on to argue that in opposition, Labour never said it would reverse Mr Sunak’s row-back on his Government’s boiler ban plans.
“We did that deliberately because my bottom line is that we proceed in a way that means we can say to people: ‘You’re going to be better off in making this transition’.”
Mr Miliband continued by stating his refusal to make constituents financially worse off: “I do not want to be in a position where I say to people: ‘You must go down this road’ and then people say to me rightly: ‘Look, you’re going to make me worse off’. So that’s our position on that.”
Reports last week also said the Government’s upcoming future homes standards will include minimum criteria for energy efficiency that mean newly built properties will not be able to install gas boilers if they are to meet the new rules.
Asked about whether there would be a mandatory ban on fossil fuel heating in new homes under the new standards, Mr Miliband said it would be a matter for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, adding that they will be “coming forward with proposals”.
He said: “The thing I would say about this is that there are massive advantages for us from the outset ensuring that homes are built to a low-carbon spec.”
“And I think there’s enthusiasm for this among the housebuilders and others,” Mr Miliband added, citing a company working with housebuilders to guarantee zero bills homes for 10 years as a “massively exciting concept”.
“That’s turning the prospect of zero carbon into a consumer benefit and that’s what we’re about,” he said.
