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Gas boiler ban: What will replace gas boilers?
Updated 07/26
By: Olivia Scammell
Reviewed: Content Team
You've probably seen conflicting headlines about gas boiler bans. The rules have now settled, so here's the accurate picture: what's confirmed, what's changed, and the main alternatives leading the shift away from gas.
What's actually confirmed for new-build homes, and when
What's changed for existing homes (a genuine update worth knowing)
The main gas boiler alternatives available today
How heat pumps compare to gas boilers in practice
Roughly what to budget for switching
Whether you need to do anything right now
Find a central heating engineer near you
What's actually happening with gas boilers?
There are no bans on existing gas boilers, but new-build homes will get low-carbon heating by default from 2027.
Here's the exact detail, since it's easy to find outdated information on this:
New-build homes: the Future Homes Standard was finalised and published in March 2026, and comes into force on 24 March 2027 (later than the 2025 deadline you might have seen mentioned elsewhere). It doesn't name gas boilers as banned. Instead, it sets carbon targets so demanding that no fossil-fuel heating system can meet them. New homes built from that date will default to heat pumps or heat networks instead.
Existing homes: an earlier government ambition to phase out new gas boiler installations in existing homes by 2035 was dropped when the Warm Homes Plan was published in January 2026. There's currently no deadline requiring you to replace a working gas boiler. You're still free to repair or replace one like-for-like.
In short: if you already own a home with a gas boiler, nothing here obliges you to change anything. If you're building new, or buying new-build, low-carbon heating will be the default from March 2027.
Alternatives to gas boilers
Here are the main gas boiler alternatives, whether you're planning ahead or building new:
Heat pumps
Running on electricity, heat pumps (most commonly air source) use a refrigerant to absorb natural heat from the air, ground, or water, then compress it to raise the temperature before sending it to your radiators, underfloor heating, or taps. They're the most likely default replacement for gas boilers in new-build homes.
Electric boilers
Electric boilers are significantly more efficient than gas boilers and produce zero direct emissions. They typically cost a little more to run, though, given current electricity prices. See our guide on electric vs gas boilers for a full comparison.
Solar heating systems
Solar thermal panels heat water directly. Solar PV panels generate electricity instead, which can power an electric boiler or heat pump. Both are clean, renewable ways to heat your home.
Biomass boilers
Biomass boilers run on non-fossil fuel sources like wood pellets. They're an efficient alternative to gas or electric heating for suitable properties.
Already decided a heat pump is the way forward? Our guide on air source vs ground source heat pumps helps you choose between the two main types.
Heat pump vs gas boiler: how they actually compare
Heat pumps and gas boilers work quite differently. Boilers produce a large amount of high-temperature heat quickly, which suits standard radiators well. Heat pumps produce heat more gradually, at a lower temperature, over a larger surface area. That's why they pair particularly well with underfloor heating or larger radiators sized for lower flow temperatures, rather than smaller radiators designed around a traditional boiler.
Costs
Heat pumps cost more upfront than gas boilers. Here's the breakdown:
Installing a heat pump typically costs considerably more than a combi boiler.
Existing properties usually cost more to convert than new builds, since pipework and radiators often need upgrading too.
A straightforward combi-boiler installation remains the cheaper option by comparison.
Running costs for either depend heavily on live gas and electricity prices, so check our gas vs electric heating cost guide rather than relying on a fixed figure.
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Financial support for switching
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently offers up to £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump in England and Wales. It's deducted directly from your installer's quote, and additional support is available for some off-gas-grid households. Terms and grant amounts are reviewed periodically, so confirm the current rate directly via gov.uk or an MCS-certified installer before committing.
Air source heat pump costs in the UK 2026
If you’re looking for a clean way to heat your home while saving money on your energy bills, then an air source heat pump could be for you. Keep reading to find out more about the average air source heat pump cost in the UK.
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FAQs
No. The previously proposed 2035 phase-out for existing homes was dropped when the Warm Homes Plan was published in January 2026. You can still repair or replace a gas boiler like-for-like with no deadline.
The Future Homes Standard comes into force on 24 March 2027, later than the 2025 date you might have seen quoted elsewhere. It applies to new-build homes only.
Yes, they're expected to become the default heating choice for new-build homes under the Future Homes Standard, since no fossil-fuel system can meet its carbon targets.
No, not because of any government deadline. If your existing boiler is working, there's currently no requirement to replace it.
Heat pumps typically cost considerably more to install, especially in an existing property needing pipework or radiator upgrades, though grants like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme can offset a meaningful chunk of this. A gas boiler remains cheaper to install outright.
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