NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood

h/t Ian Cunningham

Ed Miliband has announced an increase in the “boiler tax,” which will add an estimated £100 to the cost of replacing the appliances.

The Government confirmed on Friday that the current quota for heat pumps sold by boiler manufacturers would rise from 6pc to 8pc from April 2026. It means for every 92 boilers sold, manufacturers must sell eight heat pumps. If they fall short, companies face a fine of £500 per unsold heat pump.

The fines are passed on to customers in the form of higher prices to cover the losses, leading the policy to be dubbed the “boiler tax”.

Figures for the UK’s four biggest boiler manufacturers – Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Ideal and Baxi – suggest the 8pc target is far above current demand, meaning hefty fines are inevitable.

Adrian Waddelove, of the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, a trade body, said Mr Miliband’s new boiler tax would add about £100 to the price of each appliance.

Full story here.

And you know what? This fine won’t make the slightest difference to heat pump sales, which people still can’t afford and do not want.

Meanwhile heat pump sales remain stuck at about 4000 a month, well short of the 50,000 target.