The government has published a consultation seeking views on the future of domestic boiler standards, including proposals to mandate that from 2026 all newly installed gas boilers are hydrogen-ready1. The Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM), the industry body reporting the publication, states that the deadline for responses is 23:45 on Tuesday 21 March1.
The consultation covers three areas: proposals to improve boiler and heating system efficiency through improvements to minimum standards; the 2026 hydrogen-ready mandate; and the potential role of gas boiler-electric heat pump hybrids in heat decarbonisation in the 2020s and 2030s1. IGEM states that the proposals aim to reduce domestic gas consumption, thereby lowering consumer bills and carbon emissions, improving energy security, and preparing for the transition to low-carbon heating1.
IGEM says it is working with industry partners and is overall supportive of improved boiler standards, efficiency and the role of hydrogen-ready boilers and hybrid heating systems as part of the solution to decarbonise the sector1. It states that hydrogen produces zero carbon emissions at the point of use, and that evidence is pointing to significantly reduced NOx emissions from hydrogen boilers compared to the most modern natural gas boilers on the market today1. It also links the proposals to the government's 2019 decision to legislate for net zero carbon emissions by 20501.
"A consultation has been published which seeks the views on a range of topics"
The three topics under consultation are set out below.
| Topic | Proposal |
|---|---|
| Minimum standards | Improve boiler and heating system efficiency1 |
| Hydrogen-ready mandate | All newly installed gas boilers hydrogen-ready from 20261 |
| Hybrids | Role of gas boiler-electric heat pump hybrids in the 2020s and 2030s1 |
IGEM sets out the message it encourages its members and the wider gas industry to deliver to government: that hydrogen will play a crucial role in decarbonising heat and that mandating hydrogen-ready boilers will reduce the costs and disruption of the transition; that the mandate places consumers at the heart of the decarbonisation challenge and enables optionality; that it represents a low-regrets decision and a low cost choice for the consumer in readying their home for net zero; and that government should support hybrid heating systems, consisting of a boiler and a heat pump, as an important solution to achieving net zero targets now with existing boilers, and with hydrogen-ready boilers for the longer term1.
Why it matters for households
The consultation concerns the equipment installed in homes and the standards it must meet. A 2026 mandate would mean that a household replacing a gas boiler after that date would be offered a hydrogen-ready boiler, a unit designed to be convertible to run on hydrogen rather than natural gas. What that claim means in practice, and the limits of it, is a separate question from the mandate itself.
Minimum standards for gas boilers and heating systems bear on efficiency ratings and on how a system is set up to run, including flow temperature. IGEM states the proposals aim to lower consumer bills and carbon emissions and improve energy security1. Hybrid systems, pairing a boiler with a heat pump, are the third strand; how a hybrid heat pump and gas boiler performs against a gas boiler alone is a question the consultation raises rather than answers.
The wider policy context, including the use of the existing gas network for low carbon gases and the eventual use of 100% hydrogen, is set out in hydrogen for home heating. The consultation does not itself change any standard or mandate; it seeks views1.
What happens next
Responses are due by 23:45 on Tuesday 21 March 20231. IGEM encourages responses from its members and the wider gas industry1. No date for the government's decision following the consultation has been reported.