Almost three-quarters of off-gas grid rural homeowners risk being pushed into fuel poverty by the government’s proposed 2026 boiler ban, new figures show.
New polling shows 58% of homeowners not connected to the mains gas network feel the 2026 fossil fuel boiler ban is unfair compared to the much later 2035 ambition to phase out fossil fuels for those on the gas grid.
When asked if government should abandon the policy, almost 60% said it should, according to polling by trade association Liquid Gas UK.
Under current government plans, homes and farm businesses using oil, LPG or solid-fuel heating systems would be unable to replace their heating system like-for-like should it break down after 2026.
Farm buildings such as outbuildings, milking parlours, grain stores, poultry sheds and barns will all be affected. For larger non-domestic buildings, the target date is even earlier, by 2024.
In rural homes and farmhouses, which are typically harder to heat, research shows that the cost of replacing existing systems with an electric alternative, such as a heat pump, could cost between £15,000-£30,000 once retrofitting energy efficiency measures are considered.
With many farms and agricultural workers located in areas off the mains-gas grid, the added concern of how to heat their homes and business comes at a time of increasing living costs.
Fuel poverty statistics released by government last month showed that households in rural areas were almost 40% more likely to be in fuel poverty than their urban counterparts.
The data also showed that for rural residents off the gas grid, over 20% are fuel poor compared to 12% on the gas grid.
George Webb, Liquid Gas UK CEO said the government’s current strategy risked pushing more rural households into fuel poverty.
“These survey results clearly indicate that an electrification-first approach to decarbonising rural areas is both unaffordable and unfair,” he said.
“Government urgently needs to re-think its 2026 boiler ban for properties not connected to the gas grid and ensure we’re offering rural communities a choice in how they decarbonise, and ultimately, heat their homes and businesses.”
The heating and energy needs of the agricultural sector are complex, Mr Webb explained.
“As an alternative to electric technologies, government should consider the benefits of renewable liquid gases, which are a low-carbon and drop-in alternative to LPG, in a mixed energy approach.
“The industry is investing £600m into the domestic production of renewable liquid gases through a range of sustainable feedstocks, with a credible pathway in place to achieve net zero by 2040.
“Renewable liquid gases offer rural communities and farm businesses greater choice and reduce the risk of financial burdens in the path to decarbonisation,” Mr Webb said.
