Rural MPs lead charge against 2026 ban on new oil boilers

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is being urged to scrap a net zero ban on new oil boilers, with senior Conservative MPs warning it will cost votes in rural communities.

New oil boilers will be banned in homes not connected to the gas grid by 2026, effectively leaving rural communities with no choice but to make costly upgrades to accommodate electric alternatives.

The Countryside Alliance has warned that many older homes commonly found in the countryside are ill-suited to heat pumps, which require thorough insulation to work efficiently. Some homeowners have been told they would also have to replace their radiators to accommodate the heating devices.

The ban is set to affect 1.7 million mostly rural households that are not connected to the gas grid and would come in at least a decade before similar restrictions on other homes.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, George Eustice, who was environment secretary in Boris Johnson’s government, called for the ban to be dropped – describing the policy as “a Ulez for rural communities”.

Mr Eustice, who represents the Camborne and Redruth constituency in Cornwall, believes that instead of banning the boilers, owners should be encouraged to use environmentally-friendly fuel.

He has drafted an amendment to the Energy Bill, which is understood to have the backing of at least a dozen Tory MPs, introducing effective subsidies on such oil.

Sir Geoffrey Cox, the former attorney general, said the 2026 cut-off date has left rural households with an “extremely invidious choice”.

“They don’t have an alternative in which they yet which they currently have any confidence,” he said. 

“Those of us who live in small rural communities are going to be plunged disadvantageously and prematurely into making a decision like this in two and a half years.”

In a statement, carried in The Times and Daily Telegraph, Countryside Alliance Public Affairs Director James Legge said:

“We recognise the need to move away from fossil fuels in all its uses, but the Government must recognise the disproportionate impact this transition will have in rural areas. The Government needs to work with rural communities, rather than imposing change from Whitehall, to deliver affordable alternatives and the infrastructure needed to support increasing dependence on electricity, especially as we move to electric vehicles as well. 

“The current infrastructure simply cannot support the increase in demand that these changes will bring. While there are alternatives to existing oil boilers, these often require substantial up front capital investment and are not always suitable for some properties. As importantly is the need for people to have confidence in the alternatives. As part of any transition the increasing use of alternative fuels should form part of the mix”.