Have your say on the future of home heating

The consultation focusses on two main areas: making gas boilers more efficient and mandating hydrogen ready boilers. It also looks at hybrid systems, where there is a heat pump and a boiler, for example.

We encourage anyone involved in the plumbing and heating sector to have their say. The deadline for contributions is 11.45 on 21^st March. You can find out more, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-boiler-standards-and-efficiency

What are the main points covered in the consultation?

• New mandatory controls when installing a boiler
• New standards around boiler outputs
• Extending boiler plus requirements to system/regular boilers
• Increasing min ERP rating of hot water cylinders to B
• Mandating hydrogen ready boilers
• Potential to increase hybrids heating installations and products
• Boiler efficiency

Mandatory controls when installing a boiler:

The consultation wants to gauge opinion on whether new gas boilers should have Class VI boiler controls, such as weather compensators and room sensors, from 2025.

Boiler efficiency:

Mandating a high modulation range and a capping of minimum output levels are all covered in the consultation. It also puts forward raising minimum performance standards from 93% to 94% and that all hot water storage cylinders should have a minimum efficiency rating of B.

Flue gas heat recovery is also included, considering how this could contribute to efficiency.

Skills and installation:

Of particular interest to installers, is the suggestion that heating servicing should go beyond current standards, including making low temperature heating training mandatory.

Hydrogen ready boilers:

It has been proposed that by 2026 all new domestic gas boiler less than 45kW, should be hydrogen ready, on the provision that safety and performance regulations can be satisfied, boilers can operate on 100% hydrogen and price parity with gas boilers can be achieved.

If all of these factors come into play, installers will be required to complete a hydrogen training module. 

Hybrid systems:

Hybrid systems are put forward as a contributor to the 600,000 annual heat pump install target, with the potential of becoming the new minimum energy performance product from 2028.

The boilers in these hybrid systems would most-likely be hydrogen ready.

For full details of the consultation, click here.