New Gas Regulations – Everything you need to know

“I’ve been working at Brookhouse for nearly 12 years and I’ve never seen as many jobs in the gas industry as there are now” – Tim Hughes, Brookhouse Development manager.

 

An article published in HPM magazine on 19th April caused a bit of a stir, stating that ‘from 2020 gas boilers cannot be installed in new build properties,’ this led many to believe that gas boilers were to be banned – we can reassure you that this is not the case.

The current feeling out there is that the general public is still a little nervous/uncertain. Mainly due to lack of information or misinformation on their part particularly around the recent government push around climate change. There’s so much media coverage around gas boilers becoming a thing of the past, fossil fuels are bad, ground source heat pumps are the future, hydrogen boilers are to take over natural gas etc.

The reality is there has never been a better time to get gas trained because of the tsunami of installations coming down the line. Here at Brookhouse we get phone calls every day from both small and large companies desperately looking for newly qualified gas engineers, more now than ever. 

 

Will there be a gas boiler ban in the UK? 

The short answer is no. 

Gas boilers will not be banned. However, to help aid the climate crisis, hydrogen gas boilers and heat pumps will be implemented in UK homes and businesses to replace the existing boilers once they’ve run their lifespan.  

 

To read our blog post detailing the reasons for these changes, click here.

 

What does this mean for my home? 

These changes shouldn’t affect your home, it is designed to come at a time when most people will be needing to either service their gas boiler or install a new one. 

You will still be able to have your boiler fixed by a gas engineer and these plans will only affect your home from the mid-2030s onwards. If your boiler breaks down in the mid-2030s you will be required to install a new boiler which is low-carbon heating such as a hydrogen-ready boiler or a heat pump. 

For people looking to purchase a new build, these homes from 2025 onwards will be built zero-carbon ready. The new policy will instruct architects of new builds to consult with the local council on whether connecting to the gas grid is feasible and appropriate.

 

Is there any support available to help afford these expensive changes? 

Yes – Grants next year from the government – if the boiler breaks down the Government will give a £5k grant (meaning you don’t need to pay this money back) towards a heat pump system that currently costs £18k. To read more about this and to find out how you can apply for this grant, click here. 

In addition, the UK Government is launching the ECO scheme, this will enable people on a low-income to receive a free boiler.

 

Click here to read more about this scheme and find out if you are eligible for a free boiler. 

 

Will this affect my career in the gas industry? 

Yes – you will be needed more than ever as thousands of new boilers will need installation across the UK’s homes and buildings. 

Gas engineers will be more important than ever. Hydrogen gas boilers for domestic use are very new and the technology has taken decades to develop since hydrogen gas is volatile. Gas engineers will be required to install these new boilers and to carry out maintenance tasks on them. 

The UK Government has said that around 900 million pounds ($1.25 billion) of funding will be available to support hydrogen projects in Britain, which it said could create more than 9,000 jobs by 2030. We estimate that this number is far lower than what we will see in the future; the current situation is that there are approximately 168k gas engineers and the industry, the UK will need at least 250k gas engineers to meet the current and future demand. 

 

Tim Hughes, Brookhouse Development manager, summed up these changes by saying:

 

“All they’re [the UK Government] looking to do is ban the installation of natural gas boilers in new build homes, to reduce carbon emissions. Gas Engineers are currently fitting millions of boilers in domestic properties as we speak. All the existing boilers still need servicing and maintaining, coupled with gas safety checks…I’ve been working at Brookhouse for nearly 12 years and I’ve never seen as many jobs in the gas industry as there are now.” 

 

There will be a lot of change coming so if you want to pursue a career in this field you can be certain that you will be kept busy for the next decade! Here at Brookhouse, we make it easy for you to transition into your new career so if you are looking to pursue a career in gas contact us or register to attend one of our open days.