A proposed ban on gas central heating boilers would push many people in the countryside into fuel poverty, according to industry figures.
A survey by trade association Liquid Gas UK of over 1,000 people who live in properties not connected to the gas network found more than two thirds of households would be unable to afford an electric heating system.
Liquid Gas UK is calling on the Government to rethink plans that mean by 2026 homes currently using oil, LPG or solid-fuel heating would have to switch to electrical systems.
The industry body says replacing existing systems with an electric alternative, such as a heat pump, along with necessary energy efficiency retrofitting, would cost between £15,000-£30,000 for rural homeowners.
Fuel poverty statistics released by Government showed that households in rural areas were almost 40% more likely to be in fuel poverty than their urban counterparts.
George Webb, CEO of Liquid Gas UK, said: ‘These survey results clearly indicate that an electrification-first approach to decarbonising rural homes is both unaffordable and unfair.
‘Government urgently needs to re-think its 2026 boiler ban for homes not connected to the gas grid and ensure we’re offering rural communities a choice in how they decarbonise, and ultimately, heat their homes.’
