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Oil boiler ban pushed back to 2035 – here’s how to get around it
Telegraph Money explains the options households have for heating their homes following the ban on oil boilers being pushed back to 2035
A ban on the sale of oil boilers was pushed back to 2035 a couple of years ago as part of changes made by the Conservative government’s environmental policies. The boilers had been set to be phased out from 2026 onwards.
That being said, the ban will still affect many rural homeowners living in off-grid homes – just at a later date. Households will instead be encouraged to switch to heat pumps under proposals to help cut heating emissions – but there are concerns about their efficacy and expense in rural homes, with some homeowners facing costs of more than £40,000 to make the switch.
If it goes ahead, the ban on new oil boilers could affect 1.7 million homes, and was likened to a “rural Ulez” by former environment secretary George Eustice.
If you’re one of the many people who currently use an oil boiler, you may be confused about what action to take. In this guide, we explain the situation and provide expert advice to help you decide what to do next.
In this article, we will cover:
Understanding the oil boiler ban
What are oil boilers and how do they work?
Oil boilers use oil instead of gas to heat water. Oil is pumped from a storage tank located at the property to a boiler where it is then ignited in a combustion chamber. The hot exhaust gas that’s produced warms up the water which is circulated through pipes to radiators, taps and showers.
The most common reason for having an oil boiler as opposed to a gas boiler, is that your home is not connected to main gas, although some also choose to use oil boilers for performance reasons, especially over the winter months.
Why are oil boilers facing a ban?
An oil boiler works in a similar way to a gas boiler, except it burns oil rather than gas to create heat. Rather than being connected to the gas mains, homes with oil boilers have specialised tanks that store the oil until it needs to be used. This is why they tend to be popular with off-grid rural homes.
You will not be able to replace oil boilers with a like-for-like replacement from 2035.
The ban on new gas boilers is still in place for the same year, but many more households are likely to be exempted from the measure, which will no longer require those with off-gas-grid homes, people who need expensive retrofitting or a very high electricity consumption to make the switch to heat pumps.
Options for homeowners with an oil boiler
There are four options available to homeowners before the oil boiler ban comes in:
- Replace your oil boiler
- Extend the life of your existing boiler
- Convert to greener fuels
- Transition to a heat pump
Option 1: Replace your oil boiler before the ban
As it stands, households with existing oil boilers will only be faced with switching to a heat pump whenever their boiler breaks down after 2035 – so some homeowners are choosing to push that day back as far as possible.
When the ban was set to be introduced in 2026, several Telegraph readers told us that, despite their current oil boilers being in perfectly good working order, they planned to replace them as close to the deadline as possible in the hope they’ll be able to continue using them for several years to come.
On average, oil boilers have a lifespan of between 15 and 30 years, depending on the quality, how well they are maintained, and level of use. In theory, a new oil boiler purchased in the next couple of years could last you until 2055.
Having a new oil boiler fitted will cost at least £1,700, but more likely closer to £4,700, according to estimates from The Eco Experts.
Option 2: Extend the life of your existing boiler
If you don’t want to take the step of paying out for a new oil boiler, you can help lengthen the life of your existing equipment.
The best way is to make sure the boiler and oil storage tank are serviced regularly by qualified OFTEC (Oil Firing Technical Association) engineers.
Not only can this extend the boiler’s lifespan and make sure it’s safe, it can also improve its efficiency by up to 10pc, according to the provider Northern Energy.
We heard from one reader who was planning to stock up on spare parts for their oil boiler, intending to fix it themselves after the deadline.
While it is possible to buy parts online, taking a DIY approach to your boiler is not advisable; any work with oil boilers has to be done by a certified engineer, and work done yourself can make the appliance unsafe and – should anything go wrong – it can also invalidate your warranty and home insurance.
It will still be possible to get your boiler serviced and repaired after the 2026 deadline; but current plans suggest it won’t be possible to install a new one after this date should it be too broken to repair.
Option 3: Convert to greener fuels
One alternative to kerosene, which is the usual fuel used in oil boilers, is hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). This odourless oil can be burned as fuel, and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90pc.
HVO is a form of renewable fuel made using waste vegetable oils or animal fats, and has a similar chemical makeup to kerosene, making it compatible with oil boilers. The Telegraph has visited one Cornish hamlet that’s successfully using these alternatives to oil boiler fuels.
This means that with a few tweaks to your heating system, carried out by an engineer, you could use HVO to heat your home.
Worcester Bosch, a boiler manufacturer, says it’s developing a range of oil boilers that can use HVO as an alternative to kerosene, as well as HVO conversion kits that can be used on existing models.
Depending on your boiler and the engineer you recruit for the job, a conversion could cost between £500 and £2,300, according to heating oil comparison service BoilerJuice.
However, given the ban is currently on oil boilers themselves – rather than on the fuel they burn – making the switch won’t currently make any difference if your boiler needs replacing.
The availability of HVO and other biofuels is also fairly limited in the UK, but it’s hoped these more environmentally-friendly energy sources will become easier to access in future.
If you’re considering making the switch, note that your boiler must be in good working order to withstand a conversion, and you’ll need to get your manufacturer to confirm that it’s HVO-friendly.
Just as with using kerosene, you’ll need to maintain your boiler regularly to ensure its safety and efficiency.
Option 4: Transition to a heat pump
Households are being encouraged to switch to heat pumps as a more environmentally-friendly replacement for oil and gas boilers. Heat pumps use the same technology as air conditioning to transfer heat around your home, depending on where it’s needed.
Depending on the type of heat pump installed, it might take warmer air from outside your house, or the ground, and move it inside.
The Government has been encouraging the uptake of heat pumps in order to reach ambitious targets, which are displayed in the graph below. Under the previous government, Rishi Sunak announced an increase to the boiler upgrade scheme; households are now able to claim larger grants of up to £7,500 to fund the installation of heat pumps.
FAQs
What are the issues with heat pumps?
Heat pumps, however, are not suited to all homes. As they run on electricity, they are not suitable for many off-grid homes, and we’ve heard instances where they have been unable to generate the amount of heat required to warm up large rural properties.
Heat pump installation can also be expensive. Air to water heat pumps can cost between £5,000 and £18,000, while ground source heat pump costs can come in between £13,000 to £35,000, but may range all the way to £45,000, according to figures from price comparison site GreenMatch.
Read more about the pros and cons of heat pumps here.
Will I get any help towards installation costs?
There are government schemes in place to help homeowners in England and Wales with the cost of heat pump installation.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will now pay up to £7,500 to those fitting a new system, up from £5,000 available previously.
The support is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with those off the gas grid not given priority.
Those living in off-grid rural areas could be eligible for a £5,000 discount on having a biomass boiler fitted.
To apply, you need to contact an MSC certified installer to ask for a quote for the work – they’ll also let you know whether your home is eligible – and they’ll apply for the grant on your behalf on the Ofgem website.