With the challenging goal of reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050, the UK government has announced sweeping legislation to encourage the usage of renewable heat sources in UK homes.

Currently, 95% of UK homes have central heating systems, and around 80% of these systems are gas powered. Whilst gas boilers are highly effective, their CO2 output has raised increasing concern over the past decade - not to mention that the fossil fuels powering them won’t be around forever. With this in mind, the push for renewable alternatives has never been more encouraged.

As a plumber, it’s important to keep up to speed with the current rules and regulations, so let’s take a look at how you can prepare going forward.

The Clean Air Strategy of 2019 explained how the government planned to tackle carbon emissions of all kinds in order to protect the environment, whilst enabling clean growth and innovation. Not an easy task by any means, but one that’s already underway.

One of the major keystones of this plan is reducing carbon emissions from homes and businesses. As heating makes up around 30% of total household and business emissions, the government saw an opportunity for huge carbon cuts here.

The idea is to encourage the transition to clean energy, which does leave plumbers with ample opportunities - as those who can install renewable technologies and renewable-compatible heating systems (such as electric boilers) will naturally have a head start when it comes to plumbing for new builds and renovation projects.

Despite the upcoming restrictions on gas boilers in new homes, your customers probably won’t be rushing to replace the gas boilers in their existing properties. This is especially true if they have recently had a new gas boiler installed, as it will still run efficiently and do an excellent job for years and years to come. This means that gas boiler maintenance will still be a valued service for the next few decades, at the very least.

Suppose the majority of your work is contracting for new builds or plumbing for renovations. In that case, it’s seriously worth learning the ins and outs of electric boilers, heat pumps, and other low-emission heating systems.

Whilst gas boilers certainly aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, their gradual phase-out from new build properties further incentivises plumbers to start learning how to install, maintain, and repair new, low-emission alternatives.

When it comes to stocking these systems, professionals need a supplier they can trust. Sign up for a City Plumbing trade account to get consistently low trade prices on plumbing supplies including boilers, heat pumps, and much, much more – with free delivery and on-hand support.

Click here to learn more.