Consultation outcome

Improving boiler standards and efficiency

From:
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Published
13 December 2022
Last updated
14 March 2024 — See all updates
This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government
This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Improving boiler standards and efficiency: summary of responses and government response

PDF, 716 KB, 73 pages

Detail of outcome

The government response to this consultation summarises some of the key themes that arose during consultation, and sets out updated proposals to improve gas boiler system efficiency and to enable installation of high-quality, efficient hybrid heat pumps.

It also sets out that only if a decision is taken in 2026 that hydrogen will play a substantive role in heat decarbonisation, will the government move to require domestic gas boilers be hydrogen-ready, and then only from 2030.

Next steps

We plan to implement most proposals via an update to ecodesign and energy labelling regulations, which would apply in Great Britain.

We intend to consult further on proposals regarding hydrogen-ready standards and minimum efficiency requirements for hybrid heat pumps, and on how we plan to implement boiler efficiency proposals through ecodesign and energy labelling legislation, including:

  • preventing Class I-III controls from being placed on the market from 2026
  • requiring the use of open protocols for heating controls and combi boilers, and potentially system and regular boilers 
  • ensuring domestic-scale (<45kW) combination boilers are able to modulate down to at least 15% of their maximum output 
  • low flow temperature default settings for gas boilers

Detail of feedback received

We received 195 responses to the consultation from a diverse range of stakeholders, including:

  • heating appliance manufacturers
  • heating engineers
  • energy suppliers
  • non-governmental organisations
  • members of the public

Original consultation

Summary

We’re seeking views in response to our proposals on domestic gas boiler efficiency, hydrogen-ready boilers and hybrid heating systems.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

Consultation document replaced (7 February 2023)

Improving boiler standards and efficiency consultation document replaced. The text in Annex B was updated to match the wording for question 1 in the body of the text.

This consultation seeks views on a range of topics, including:

  • proposals to improve boiler and heating system efficiency through improvements to minimum standards
  • proposals to mandate that from 2026 all newly-installed gas boilers are ‘hydrogen-ready’
  • the potential role of gas boiler-electric heat pump hybrids in heat decarbonisation in the 2020s and 2030s

These proposals aim to reduce domestic gas consumption, thereby lowering consumer bills and carbon emissions, improving our energy security, and preparing for the transition to low-carbon heating.

We would like views from consumers, installers, manufacturers and wider industry.

We have also published a consultation-stage Impact Assessment.

See the BEIS consultation privacy notice.

Documents

Improving boiler standards and efficiency: consultation (replaced 7 February 2023).

PDF, 769 KB, 73 pages

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Improving boiler standards and efficiency Consultation Stage Impact Assessment

PDF, 477 KB, 30 pages

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Updates to this page

Published 13 December 2022
Last updated 14 March 2024 + show all updates

  1. Government response published.

  2. Improving boiler standards and efficiency consultation document replaced. The text in Annex B was updated to match the wording for question 1 in the body of the text.

  3. First published.

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