Gas boilers scrapped by 2050?

[Jones82]

Just heard on the news about the Uk's ambitious climate change targets, of which one of them was to scrap gas boilers by 2050.

On one hand its 30 years into the distant future but on the other there's still the question of system design, as I understand it new boilers, air source for example work at lower temperatures so require larger pipe work or underfloor heating.

It made me think of a a current job I'm pricing, the house is 30 years old designed with conventional radiators, the customer asked me about replacing the boiler with a more modern technology but I don't think the existing system would work with an air source boiler so your looking at a full re-pipe or installation of underfloor heating through out. The look on the guys face was a picture, its just not practical to start lifting all the floors and fully redesigning the heating system.

Steadily hearing more and more about scrapping gas boilers but I'm not hearing about a replacement non gas boiler that would retrofit into our old heating systems.

Thoughts....

 

[Harvest Fields]

This isn’t doable and will not happen.

 

[gmartine]

It's a target...moving.

Improve insulation standard of new builds by 500% so you only need 1kw to heat your home. Never gonna happen.

 

[Riley]

They have announced the end of gas about three times now I think.

 

[Harvest Fields]

It's a target...moving.

G20 will runnout before this even takes off

 

[Riley]

There is no realistic alternative thats why it won’t happen

 

[Harvest Fields]

Everyone is on about GSHP & ASHP but house builders will not swallow the costs.

 

[Riley]

I got involved with a developer putting these in about four or five years ago I have subsequently been back to two properties to put a gas boiler back in

 

[gmartine]

Two out of how many Riley?

 

[Riley]

I did about eight properties with this guy but fell out with him over payment but I know he had at least another two dozen lined up

 

[Riley]

My personal opinion is that the technology isn’t there yet in order for it to be universal

 

[Jones82]

My thoughts exactly, any replacement boiler has to be compatible with our heating systems, not to mention customer expectations. Everyone wants to save the planet but no one wants to turn the heating down

 

[Millsy 82]

They have announced the end of gas about three times now I think.

When I started 20 years ago they were saying we'd run out in 20 years the old boy who trained said ballcocks and he was right. Funnily enough the miserable old sod was right about a lot of things.

 

[Scott_D]

Who will still be working in 30 years?
I hope I’m not

 

[Gasmk1]

even if gas runs out in twenty years we can kill off the planet quicker by going back to the coal mines (approx 250 years worth still under us ) and making towns gas, lots of work doing de-conversions for the younger generation

 

[Millsy 82]

even if gas runs out in twenty years we can kill off the planet quicker by going back to the coal mines (approx 250 years worth still under us ) and making towns gas, lots of work doing de-conversions for the younger generation

At the moment that is what we will have to go back to as we haven't got anything to produce the power required to run all electric boilers, electric cars electric everything. They would have to build 10 nuclear power plants to keep up.

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

Who will still be working in 30 years?
I hope I’m not

I'm 61 this year so I definitely hope I'm not. I wouldn't mind being around to see what develops in 30 years but I sure as hell won't be working

 

[Last Plumber]

Don't panic! By the time they find out that the increase in atmospheric CO2 is little to do with burning fossil fuels, we will be living like they did in the days of 'The Last Kingdom'. There will be civil war, the internet and electrical technology will be dead as the Dodo and there will be a ban on smoke from fires due to there being much danger from the next village............ again!

Just a thought.

 

[Matt0029]

Is there also ment to be no gas on new builds by 2025?

 

[townfanjon]

PMSL when they announced this last week , news reader said zero emissions etc by 2050 and then the next bit was “ the details to be sorted later “ Pfftttttttttt

 

[Matt0029]

Is there also ment to be no gas on new builds by 2025?

Don't think it will happen?

 

[Jones82]

I've worked on a few new builds recently, just one house rather than a whole site and they would only allow planning permission if the house had air source heating, epic insulation and a low water content bath.

However, there's a barratt site opposite me and although they are a lot keener on the insulation they are still fitting gas boilers.

I could see the big house builders moving towards air source, if they were forced too. There's no reason why not, except the boilers and underfloor heating are more expensive

 

[quality]

its all in the build ashp for a new build is no big deal but gas will be dominant for the next 10 years I presume. The heat pump market has grown massively over the past 15 years but it is still small compared with natural gas. Heat pumps are the future, not my future cause i am to old. But young folk in there 20s will have to through changes in legislation be it proper or not they will have to

 

[Jerry]

The Nordic countries can build super insulated homes. Why can't we? I heard it adds approx. 10% to the build cost (currently) but surely that would go down when there is a massive demand.

 

[gmartine]

@Jerry, in Nordic countries they live at the wrong end of the temperature scale for half the year so they have to super insulate their homes or pay a lot to heat them while in the UK it's still fairly temperate. Same reason the UK grinds to a halt when there's more than a couple of days of snow, it doesn't happen often enough so it doesn't necessitate the public will and therefore investment.

Any hint of increasing housing standards would send the large house builders squelling to their lobbyists and putting the brakes on so little chance of any political inducement for change unless the price of gas quadrupled. Plenty of members here work on new housing stock and can probably attest to the dire standards of design and workmanship still employed so don't hold your breath.

 

[Millsy 82]

@Jerry, Any hint of increasing housing standards would send the large house builders squelling to their lobbyists and putting the brakes on so little chance of any political inducement for change unless the price of gas quadrupled. Plenty of members here work on new housing stock and can probably attest to the dire standards of design and workmanship still employed so don't hold your breath.

Didnt this happen a few years back? Gas was meant to of been stopped on new build a few years back but the builders kicked off as it was too expensive for them to do it and as the government said they would build 1 million homes by something like 2020 they held them to ransom so the government backed down.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I found it ironic that the govt have announced we are to be carbon free by 2050, BP and other oil super majors have been on record saying recoverable oil runs out by 2055.

We are moving to hydrogen which is the most abundant gas in the universe (but not on earth so we have to make it).
However it will take us back to band b boilers

 

[RoryD]

Can't see it...or rather won't live to see it! I've expanded my remit to include Ground Heat Source Pumps anyway, but I think it may be a luxury at present.

 

[gmartine]

I've read the UK will be importing 80% of it's gas in around 20yrs (50% atm), so maybe the price will quadruble...oops.

 

[Chalked]

I found it ironic that the govt have announced we are to be carbon free by 2050, BP and other oil super majors have been on record saying recoverable oil runs out by 2055.

We are moving to hydrogen which is the most abundant gas in the universe (but not on earth so we have to make it).
However it will take us back to band b boilers

Trouble is. To make hydrogen, you need to use lots of electricity. So using a fuel to make a fuel.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Yep its ridiculous but its hydrogen thats coming next

 

[Matt0029]

Yep its ridiculous but its hydrogen thats coming next

I spoke to a colleague who had a gas safe inspection. And he said he thought hydrogen is coming. How would this work, all new appliances? That can run off hydrogen?

 

[Aire]

I spoke to a colleague who had a gas safe inspection. And he said he thought hydrogen is coming. How would this work, all new appliances? That can run off hydrogen?

To be fair, we all think hydrogen is coming next. The fact that a gas safe inspector also thinks this kinda means nothing. I was speaking to a mate of mine today regarding the futire of gas and he said he recently had a visit round the ideal factory. He spoke about the future of gas with them and was told that currently ideal are still heavily investing in gas boilers. Also that they haven't been given any formal info regarding the future use of gas. Yes something new will have to take over gas but what and when is still anyones guess.

 

[gmartine]

How Vitovalor 300-P works

 

[Aire]

That looks an interesting unit. Can't see many getting fitted in a 3 bed semi though, it's huge.