Oil boiler ban pushed back to 2035 – here’s how to get around it

The oil boilers ban has been pushed back to 2035, following the Prime Minister’s announcement of changes to a number of 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 costs in rural homes, with some homeowners facing costs of more than £40,000 to make the switch.

Rishi Sunak also announced an increase to the Government’s boiler upgrade scheme; households will be offered larger grants of up to £7,500 to fund the installation of heat pumps. 

If it goes ahead, the ban on new oil boilers could affect 1.7m homes, and has been 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 at a loss of what to do for the best – here are your options.

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.

Off-grid homes 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 large electricity connection to make the switch to heat pumps.

I’ve got an oil boiler – what are my options?

Get a new 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.

Help your existing boiler last longer

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.

Is it worth switching to vegetable oil?

One alternative to kerosene, which is the usual fuel used in oil boilers, is hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). This odourless oil can be burnt 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 previously visited one Cornish hamlet that’s successfully using such alternative 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. 

Mr Eustice has already called for effective subsidies to be applied to HVO to make life easier for those with oil boilers.

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.

Could the boiler ban deadline be extended?

The Prime Minister has faced pressure from MPs to rethink the oil boiler ban, leading some to question whether it will go ahead. He’s since pushed the ban back by nine years, from 2026 to 2035.

Mike Foster, of the Energy and Utilities Alliance trade body, has previously told Telegraph Money that rural voters had been seen as “low-hanging fruit” and predicted a U-turn on the proposed oil boiler ban.

The Telegraph has already reported that the ban might be watered down, allowing households to install new oil boilers as long as they run on greener fuels. It has also been reported by this newspaper that 30 MPs have written to the Prime Minister to raise the issue.

The Energy Bill is expected to return to Parliament for final sign-off in the autumn.

What are the issues with heat pumps?

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.

However, heat pumps are not suited to all homes. As they run on electricity, they are not suitable for 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.

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. 

However, given the current prices the £450m invested in the scheme means just 90,000 homes will be able to take advantage of the grant over its first three years – significantly below the 600,000 installations target the Government had been aiming for by 2028. 

The support is also 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.

This article was first published on 15 August 2023, and has been updated since then.

Telegraph readers discuss the proposed oil boiler ban and how it will affect them in rural England