The UK Government is preparing to introduce new energy-efficiency regulations that will ban or restrict several common household heating devices, including towel rails, gas fires, and under-floor heating. The proposals, reported by The Telegraph, would make more than a third of current 'space heating systems' illegal to sell.
Details of the Proposed Ban
The new rules would require all space heating systems to have heating controls and timing controls, limiting their operation to specific hours and conditions where they are most efficient. Towel rails, for example, would be restricted to a maximum of six hours per day. Gas fires and electric storage heaters would need to include temperature controls and power-saving modes.
According to the Government, the ban applies only to new sales, not to systems already installed in homes. The changes follow a similar ban on tumble dryers, which will take effect from January 19, 2027, in Great Britain. From that date, only highly efficient heat pump tumble dryers will be permitted for sale.
Political Reactions
Claire Coutinho, shadow energy secretary, criticized the plans, telling The Telegraph: “Ed Miliband wants to tell you how long your towel rail can be switched on. He’s already decided how you are allowed to dry your pyjamas and now he wants to make it harder to have underfloor heating in your home.”
The proposed regulations would ban around half of current under-floor heating and towel rail systems, as well as between 17% and 27% of gas heaters. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, which is responsible for the rules, says the reforms will help households save money by improving energy efficiency.
Government Statement
A spokesman for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “Our reforms will save households money by improving the energy efficiency of underfloor heating, towel rails and storage heaters.”
The EU has already introduced similar restrictions, and the UK is following suit as part of its net-zero emissions target.
