The vast majority of the UK public (97%) is unaware of the correct timeline for the country’s gas boiler phase-out, and nearly two-thirds (61%) think it is two or more years sooner than proposed.
This is according to new polling from the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) that concludes unclear messaging, vague policy timelines and a lack of strategic direction mean that the UK public is confused about the future of gas boilers in their homes.
The government currently has a target to phase out gas boilers in existing homes from 2035. It has also committed to phasing out gas boilers in new homes from 2025, as part of the Future Homes Standard.
Only 3% of respondents to the ECIU poll got the 2035 gas boiler target phase out date (in 12 years’ time) for existing homes correct. Of the other 97% that got the phase out date wrong, or said they didn’t know, around two-thirds (63%) thought it is sooner than it is, with the majority (61%) responding that it is two or more years sooner than proposed. Nearly half (43%) thought it was five or more years earlier.
The poll also found that only half of people know that gas boilers and hobs produce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change (49% and 47% respectively). Heating and cooking currently account for around a fifth of the UK’s carbon emissions.
In addition, around two-thirds (67%) said they did not know that gas boilers produce air pollution.
Jess Ralston, energy analyst at the ECIU, says: “If the gas crisis and soaring gas bills over the last year have taught us anything, it’s that we can’t continue to rely on volatile gas for our home heating. The IMF has said that we’re the worst hit by the gas crisis because we’re so reliant on it and the US and Europe are seeing record sales of alternatives like heat pumps. They have clearly learned a lesson from the last year, but have we?
“The oil and gas industry’s own estimates show that the North Sea is running out, no matter what the government’s policy on it, so unless we start to reduce our gas demand then we’ll just end up importing more from abroad. Insulating homes and switching to clean heating systems like electric heat pumps means more of our homes can be heated by Great British electricity from our offshore wind farms rather than foreign gas. It’s a no-brainer.”
