Jersey’s Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce, has decided to put back the ban on replacement fossil fuel boilers in Jersey in order to prioritise and work to update the building byelaws which legislate the Island’s building standards.
Under the Carbon Neutral Roadmap, increased energy efficiency and carbon emission standards are to be introduced following a review of the existing bye-laws and their technical guidance. That review is about to begin and will involve consultation with key stakeholders later in the year.
The ban on replacing existing boilers with a new fossil fuel heating system had been due to begin in 2026. No new date has yet been set.
Deputy Steve Luce said: “It makes total sense to begin the work on the building bye-laws and technical guidance first, to consider exactly what standards will be required to help us meet our net zero ambitions.
“Putting back the ban on replacement fossil fuel boilers isn’t a cancellation of the policy, but is a signal that we’re reprioritising some of this work to make sure it’s done in the right order, at the right time.
“The current bye-laws are designed to promote the use of low-carbon heating systems in new buildings and I’m sure it won’t be long before the market is ready to embrace this is in existing buildings as well.
“I remain committed to supporting Islanders with the move towards greener ways of heating their homes, and the Government-run Low Carbon Heating Incentive continues to be successful, having so far helped around 275 local households.”
The Low Carbon Heating Incentive provides up to £5,000 match funding to help Islanders with the cost of switching away from fossil fuel heating systems in their homes. Low-income households can apply for up to £10,000 without the need to match fund.
As part of the reprioritisation, and in response to feedback from industry, the Minister is also today confirming that he will delay the implementation of the legislation which would make Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) mandatory at the point of a home being sold or a new tenancy. EPCs tell you how energy efficient a building is, as well as highlighting the building’s emissions, using information about how it is built and heated.
The Minister has committed to consulting with interested parties on the technical and practical aspects of EPCs in 2024 to make sure the best solution for the Island can be found and that it aligns with the updated building bye-laws. The legislation on EPCs will now not be brought forward in this term of Government. Islanders can, though, still apply for a subsidy towards a Home Energy Audit and an EPC.
