Campaign: Boiler data
We need better data on the UK’s gas boilers to help us achieve net zero and ensure landlords are keeping their tenants safe. The Government could achieve this by requiring gas safety certificates and boiler service reports to be registered centrally, just like energy performance certificates.
What’s the problem?
The UK’s homes are responsible for around a sixth of its carbon emissions, largely due to our 23 million ageing boilers. To reduce these emissions, we need to encourage UK homeowners to upgrade to modern electric boilers and heat pumps.
But we don’t know which homes have the oldest, most polluting boilers. So it’s much harder for the government to target incentives at the homeowners most in need. Previous incentive schemes have a woeful track record.
The opportunity
The solution is simple: create a central register of the certificates handed out for boiler Gas Safety checks and annual services, which record the age and condition of the boilers. This could work just like the current Energy Performance Certificate register, which tracks properties’ energy efficiency.
And the government’s current re-tendering of the Gas Safe Register - the official register of engineers qualified to issue the certificates - is a golden opportunity to change this. The new tender could include an extra requirement for certified engineers to register their boiler certificates.
If you can help this become a reality we’d love to chat!
Publications
Briefing: A register of gas boilers
January 2024
This briefing calls for the Government to create a central register of gas boiler certificates.
We need better data on gas boilers to help us reach net zero and ensure landlords are keeping their tenants safe. The current re-tendering of the Gas Safe Register is a prime opportunity to make this happen.