TL;DR:

  • From 2035, you won’t be able to install a new gas or oil boiler in a UK home — this applies to replacements as well as new builds
  • Existing boilers are not affected: if your current boiler keeps working after 2035, you can run it until it fails
  • Heat pumps are the main alternative, with air source models now available from around £8,000 installed (after the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant)

The UK government confirmed in 2023 that new gas boilers will be banned from 2035. This isn’t a ban on using gas — if your current boiler is still running in 2036, you can keep using it. What changes is what happens when it needs replacing. From 2035, a replacement boiler must use a low-carbon heating source: typically a heat pump, a heat network connection, or a hydrogen-ready boiler (if hydrogen infrastructure exists in your area).

That’s nine years away. But boilers last 10–15 years. If you’re buying a boiler today, there’s a real chance it’s the last gas boiler you’ll ever buy for that property.

What the 2035 Ban Actually Covers

The policy targets new installations, not existing ones. The specifics:

What’s banned from 2035:

  • Installing a new gas boiler (even as a like-for-like replacement when your current one fails)
  • Installing a new oil boiler in homes not connected to the gas grid
  • Installing LPG boilers in rural homes

What’s not banned:

  • Running your existing gas boiler beyond 2035
  • Gas hobs and cooking appliances (the ban is heating-specific)
  • Gas connections themselves — the network may remain in place even as boiler replacements are phased out

The ban was originally set for 2035 but has been subject to political discussion. The current government has confirmed 2035 as the target, though implementation details continue to evolve. The core policy direction is not in doubt.

Why Is This Happening?

Space heating accounts for roughly 17% of UK carbon emissions. The Climate Change Committee identified home heating as one of the most important decarbonisation challenges because it’s diffuse — millions of individual households making individual decisions about their heating equipment, compared to the centralised decisions involved in decarbonising power generation.

Gas boiler manufacturers have known this was coming for years. Many now sell heat pumps alongside boilers, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme exists specifically to help households make the transition before the 2035 deadline.

What Are the Alternatives?

Air source heat pumps are the most likely replacement for most UK homes. They extract heat from outside air (even in cold weather) and deliver it to your heating system. Modern models work in temperatures down to -20°C. Installed cost runs from £8,000 to £16,000 for a typical home, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently offering a £7,500 grant, bringing entry-level systems down to around £4,000–8,000 after the grant.

Ground source heat pumps extract heat from the ground and achieve higher efficiencies than air source models, but require digging (ground loops or boreholes) and typically cost £15,000–30,000 installed. They suit properties with sufficient land.

Hydrogen boilers are presented by some manufacturers as a drop-in alternative, using a hydrogen-compatible boiler and waiting for hydrogen gas to be supplied through adapted pipelines. This remains uncertain — the government has not committed to domestic hydrogen heating, and pilots in places like Ellesmere Port and Levenmouth are ongoing. Don’t bank on hydrogen as your 2035 solution unless you have specific reason to believe your area will be served.

Heat networks (district heating) supply heat from a central source through insulated pipes to multiple buildings. Where you’re connected to or near a heat network, this is an option. Coverage is expanding, particularly in new urban developments, but most UK homes will not have this option.

Electric panel heaters and infrared panels are used in some smaller properties where heat pump installation isn’t practical, but they’re less efficient than heat pumps and come with higher running costs.

Should You Act Before 2035?

The financial case for switching now rather than waiting:

Reasons to switch now:

  • The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is available today — £7,500 off the cost of an air source heat pump. Whether this grant continues through to 2035 is not guaranteed.
  • If your boiler is approaching end-of-life (10+ years old), replacement planning makes sense before it fails at the worst moment — winter, with no heat pump installer available for weeks.
  • Electricity tariffs for heat pump users (Agile, Go Electra, Intelligent Octopus) can make running costs competitive with gas even before the gas-to-heat-pump efficiency advantage is factored in.
  • Early adopters have more time to find good installers and potentially better prices as competition in the heat pump market grows.

Reasons to wait:

  • Heat pump technology continues to improve. Units available in 2030 will be more efficient, quieter, and potentially cheaper than today’s models.
  • The installer market is still developing. Finding a quality MCS-certified heat pump installer in some areas remains difficult.
  • If your boiler is newer and working well, replacing it before it fails is a sunk cost.

The practical answer for most homeowners: if your boiler is over 10 years old and you own the property long-term, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant currently available is a strong reason to start the conversation with a heat pump installer now rather than later.

What This Means for Landlords

Landlords face a more constrained situation than owner-occupiers. Two overlapping pressures:

Energy Performance Certificates: The government has proposed requiring rental properties to meet EPC Band C by 2030 (from the current Band E minimum). A gas-boiler-heated home with poor insulation often sits at Band D or below. Upgrading to a heat pump, combined with improved insulation, can move a property to Band C or above.

The 2035 boiler ban: A boiler installed today in a rental property will be mid-life by 2035. When it eventually fails post-2035, you’ll need to install a low-carbon alternative. Planning for that now — particularly for the insulation improvements that make heat pumps effective — reduces cost versus doing it in an emergency.

For Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and larger rental portfolios, the per-unit economics of heat pumps are more challenging. Communal landlord-installed systems can provide better value than individual unit systems; heat networks at the block level are worth exploring for larger apartment developments.

The Insulation Question

Heat pumps work differently from gas boilers. A gas boiler runs at high temperatures (60–80°C flow temperature) that can handle a poorly insulated house. Heat pumps are most efficient at low flow temperatures (35–45°C) and work best in homes with good insulation and underfloor heating or large radiators.

This doesn’t mean heat pumps don’t work in uninsulated homes — modern heat pumps can run at higher flow temperatures if needed, but efficiency (COP) drops. Doing some insulation work before or alongside heat pump installation makes the system run better and cheaper. Loft insulation is the highest-value first step. Cavity wall insulation is second where applicable. Both are separately eligible for grants under the Warm Homes Plan.

Getting Quotes Now

If you’re thinking about acting before 2035, start the process early. Heat pump installations typically require:

  • A home survey (most reputable installers offer these free)
  • A heat loss calculation for your home (this determines the right heat pump size)
  • Potential radiator upgrades (if current radiators can’t handle lower flow temperatures)
  • MCS certification for the installation (required for Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant eligibility)

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) directory at mcscertified.com lists certified installers by area. Get three quotes before committing, and verify that the installer is using the BUS grant process correctly if you’re claiming the £7,500.

Summary

The 2035 deadline is real, and nine years goes faster than it sounds in the context of heating system decisions. Your current boiler can run until it fails, but when it does, your replacement options will be fundamentally different from today. For most UK homeowners, air source heat pumps combined with available grants represent the most practical path. Starting to understand your options now — while grants are available and the deadline feels distant — is considerably better than a scramble in 2034.