While the government is pressing for the mass installation of heat pumps replace domestic gas and oil fuelled boilers, boiler makers appear to be putting their weight behind hydrogen as the fuel of the future.

EUA chief executive Mike Foster said: “Having net zero homes is a must for the government and we want to help deliver this for them. That’s why we want to see 15 million UK homes fitted with hydrogen-ready boilers by 2035.

“We recognise that consumers are facing a really tough financial outlook, that’s why our target also means no additional cost to them. From 2026, we believe all new gas boilers should be hydrogen-ready, at no extra cost to the consumer compared to buying a natural gas boiler.

“This ambitious target shows what could be delivered, once the government have undertaken the formal consultation required. The industry is telling the government to give us the tools and we will deliver for them.

“The consumer needs to be front and centre of any policy impacting their home. That’s why the hydrogen-ready boiler is such a great idea. It uses natural gas and then on switchover day an engineer simply flicks the boiler to using hydrogen. No need for consumers to buy expensive alternatives or undertake costly renovations.

“In setting an ambitious target of 15 million hydrogen-ready boilers by 2035, we are preparing the UK housing stock for the great switchover, just as we recently did from analogue to digital TVs. Start replacing fossil fuel boilers with hydrogen-ready versions, years in advance of the switch, so consumers and their homes are prepared for net zero.”

Got a story? Email [email protected]