Ed Miliband sparks fears of ‘boiler ban by backdoor' as he prepares to shun gas for heating homes
Industry insiders are on high alert for the Energy Secretary to today signal the end of a role for hydrogen.
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Sources briefed on the controversial proposal, which will be subject to consultation, told The Sun that turning away from green gasses could pave the way for Britons being left with no alternative but to rip out their trusty boilers.
As the Energy Secretary drives towards net zero targets, the only viable path to retaining boilers would be to replace gas with eco-friendly alternatives like hydrogen or biomethane.
These greener gasses could flow seamlessly through existing pipelines and work perfectly with boilers, enabling millions across the nation to continue living as they do now.
Yet Red Ed is expected to snub these options in favour of encouraging households to adopt pricey heat pumps.
A source within the industry said: 'Ed Miliband is effectively telling the British public they will not be able to keep their boilers in his net zero world.
'To sneak out a decision that big during recess, when the Government knows there is no parliamentary scrutiny, is completely unacceptable.'
Labour' s manifesto, led by Sir Keir Starmer, promised that 'nobody will be forced to rip out their boiler as a result of our plans.'
However, a fuming insider from the gas sector accused the Government of betrayal, stating: 'This is a Government elected on a pledge not to rip out your boiler – instead they are quietly lifting them out of people's homes and hoping they won't notice.'
Mike Foster, CEO of the Energy and Utilities Alliance, warned that Mr Miliband's push for pumps could backfire spectacularly, with consumers unwilling to shell out for the costly devices because 'they are too expensive to install for most people and cost more to run than a gas boiler.'
Mr Foster said: 'Consumers can't afford or won't pay the sums required for a heat pump, even with the massive taxpayer subsidies on offer.'
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