Steph’s Packed Lunch: Expert gives advice on broken boilers
Many homes rely on gas boilers for heating but the UK Government has stated these will soon be banned. However, the plans could be pushed back due to soaring costs of eco-friendly alternatives and bills.
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Britons could have five more years to swap out gas boilers for more sustainable options.
The deadline for buying gas boilers was originally marked as 2035.
It has been reported Boris Johnson is looking to push the ban back to 2040.
This would give more time for alternative heating methods to come down in price.
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It would also give homeowners and business owners alike more time to gradually swap over their appliances.
Gas boilers are currently in use in around 25 million homes in the UK.
Although they are common, they are a huge barrier to reducing carbon emissions.
When the ban comes into place, homeowners will no longer be able to purchase these.
Instead, they would need to install alternatives which are better for the environment.
A popular option is eco-friendly heat pumps which extract heat from the ground or air to warm a property.
Hydrogen boilers have also been named as another option, but both heaters are costly.
Heat pumps currently on sale cost between £8,000 and £18,000, according to green energy provider Green Match.
The pricey heating options have led to backlash which could see the target date of 2035 pushed back.
It has come due to complaints around the rising costs of the 'net zero' targets laid out by the Government.
The various eco plans proposed as part of the net zero targets could cost the Treasury up to £400billion.
Plans included suggested benefits which give families annual payments towards gas bills as an incentive to switch to electric.
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However, these plans have reportedly been scrapped due to concerns over the costs.
Allowing homeowners five more years to make the switch should also give the alternatives time to come down in price.
A full strategy is set to be published later this year ahead of Britain hosting the COP26 climate summit.
This is a meeting of 100 leaders from across the world and will take place in Glasgow this year.