Gas boilers are to be banned in most new homes by 2027 under the so-called Future Homes Standard, which aims to sharply reduce carbon emissions.

The new legislation aims to reduce carbon emissions across all new homes by up to 80%.

The Financial Times, which had the scoop on the story, says that in most cases developers must ensure that new-builds are equipped with electric heat pumps or non-gas alternatives.

Details of the gas boiler ban are expected to be announced by May but will not be enforced until legislation takes effect in 2026.

That would be followed by a 12-month period to ensure housebuilders are prepared for the switchover.

The last Tory government launched a consultation on the Future Homes Standard policy last year: now Labour is following it through. 

However, the decision to outlaw gas boilers has raised concerns over whether the heat pump supply chain can grow quickly enough to match government targets to build 300,000 new homes a year.

Steve Turner, executive director of the Home Builders Federation lobby group, says: “We need to make sure the heat pump supply chain will be in place.

“At the minute, we’re only installing about 35,000 a year – to go from there to up to 300,000 a year, plus additional ones fitted to existing homes, the supply chain will need a significant scale-up.

“If you’re not using gas for heating, that will load more on to the grid. We need to make sure there’s enough resilience within that.”