Why the UK needs a register of gas boilers - and how we can create one

Climate change is a huge challenge, but there isn’t one big fix - instead we need many small but vital legislative and technological shifts. Better data on gas boilers is just one such step towards net zero.

Here's the deal: 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 there's a hitch – we don't know which homes have the oldest, most polluting boilers. Without knowing this, it's much harder for the government to target incentives at the areas or homeowners most in need. Previous incentive schemes have a woeful track record.

There’s a simple way to fix this data gap: create a central register of the certificates handed out for boiler Gas Safety checks and annual services, which records the age and condition of boilers. Currently, these certificates are dished out on paper - but not stored digitally, so valuable data is going to waste.

Such a register could work just like the current Energy Performance Certificate register, which tracks properties' energy efficiency. It would be a data goldmine, helping us identify which buildings most need upgrades.

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.

Some might ask "don't Energy Performance Certificates already cover this?" Not quite. EPCs record whether your heating is gas, oil or electricity, but don't specify boiler models or age. And as for privacy concerns? The government has already ruled that sharing property-level energy information is in the public interest.

In short, a central register for gas boilers isn't extra bureaucracy: it’s a vital step on the road to net zero. It's time we tapped into the wealth of data already out there on our homes.

For more information, please see our briefing (pdf) - and if you can help this become a reality, we’d love to chat!