The government report "The role of hydrogen in achieving net zero", published in December 2022, stated that hydrogen's potential in domestic heating "looks likely to be limited rather than widespread" and that ministers were unconvinced its deployment would prove economically viable by the time the government has said it will determine the role of hydrogen boilers, in 20261. The Science and Technology Committee released a report in the same month claiming that viability was unlikely to be proven by that deadline1.
"Hydrogen could play a role in domestic heating, but the extent of its potential is still uncertain and looks likely to be limited rather than widespread."
The report sits against two figures on the current housing stock: heating homes accounts for 18% of UK carbon emissions, and around 85% of UK homes are heated by a natural gas boiler1. The overall target is a net-zero carbon emitting country by 20501.
On running costs, Imperial College London modelled that hydrogen would be three times more expensive than natural gas for heating1. Heat pumps, which are powered by electricity, can be 300% efficient or more, creating three times more heat than energy used, whereas a hydrogen boiler that works via combustion would not exceed 100% efficiency1. A typical unit price for hydrogen fuel has not been reported1.
On the equipment itself, boilers that could in theory burn 100% hydrogen are described as "hydrogen ready", but truly hydrogen ready boilers are not something consumers can readily buy at the moment1. What is on sale are "hydrogen-blend ready" boilers, able to run with a mixture of 20% hydrogen fuel and 80% natural gas1. All existing gas appliances are certified to run on a 23% hydrogen-blend, and introducing a mix at the proposed 20% level would reduce carbon emissions by about six million tonnes a year, equivalent to taking 2.5 million cars off the road, without anyone having to replace their current gas boiler or appliances1.
| Measure | Figure as reported |
|---|---|
| Share of UK carbon emissions from heating homes | 18%1 |
| Share of UK homes heated by a natural gas boiler | around 85%1 |
| Hydrogen cost versus natural gas for heating (Imperial College London model) | three times more expensive1 |
| Maximum hydrogen share in blend without appliance replacement | 20% (appliances certified to 23%)1 |
| Annual carbon reduction from a 20% blend | about six million tonnes, equivalent to 2.5 million cars1 |
A hydrogen boiler would not be a seamless swap. Molecular differences in the gas mean pipes would need to be resized, and a safety report to support a hydrogen heating pilot in Whitby advised four-inch holes be added to participating homes for ventilation1. Burning hydrogen does not emit carbon but still produces some of the other pollutants that are a by-product of burning natural gas, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), a group which includes nitrogen dioxide (NO2)1. A number of leading boiler manufacturers have made a joint price-promise commitment that a hydrogen ready boiler will cost no more than a gas boiler does today, though this depends on demand being as great as it currently is for gas boilers1.
In 2024, Worcester Bosch committed to change how it markets its hydrogen-blend ready boilers following a Competition and Markets Authority investigation1. The CMA was concerned that the claims could give the false impression that consumers would reduce their carbon footprint and "future-proof" their heating system by buying a Worcester Bosch boiler on account of it being "hydrogen-blend ready", when a consumer would be in the same position with other boilers on the market and, most likely, the one currently in their home1.
Why it matters for households
For a household, the practical question is what a boiler bought now will be able to burn later. The government's own assessment puts widespread hydrogen heating in doubt, and the policy position on hydrogen for home heating remains undecided until 20261. A "hydrogen-blend ready" label does not mean the home will receive hydrogen, and it does not mean the boiler can run on 100% hydrogen1. The blend option, at 20%, would cut emissions without replacing existing appliances, but it reduces rather than eliminates them and is described as at best a short-term solution and a stepping stone on the path towards net zero1.
The cost comparison matters for home heating and energy independence: hydrogen modelled at three times the price of natural gas, against heat pumps at 300% efficiency or more, points to different running costs rather than a like-for-like swap1. Homes considering alternatives, including infrared heating, face the same underlying question of what fuel and what equipment the property will rely on. The trials proposed to test hydrogen at community level have struggled to obtain local consent, and what hydrogen fuel would cost and what infrastructural changes would be needed to pipe it into homes have not been reported1.
What happens next
The government is set to make a decision on the role hydrogen will play in home heating by 20261. Until that decision and until hydrogen ready boilers start to appear on the market, the price of such boilers cannot be certain1. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, covered in the guide to DESNZ, is the department behind home energy policy.
Sources1 cited
- Hydrogen boilers: what you need to know - Which?, which.co.uk