Boris Johnson’s proposals for the green industrial revolution have received praise from some environmental groups, but critics warn that electric vehicles are too expensive, there is little charging infrastructure, and households are given £ 10,000 to replace gas boilers with heat pumps. What do the plans mean for your car and home as the UK moves towards a cleaner, low carbon future?
What are the new rules for vehicles?
The sale of ICE vehicles and vans will be banned by 2030, 10 years ahead of the previous schedule. Sales of some hybrid cars and vans will continue until 2035.
Does that mean I have to get rid of my old car?
No. Gasoline and diesel cars can still drive on the roads of the UK and you can still buy a used ICE car.
What is preventing me from driving around in my old and polluting car?
There are numerous financial obstacles that will discourage gasoline and diesel vehicle drivers.
On October 25 next year, London’s low-emission zone (Ulez) will be extended to most of the capital. Anyone who drives a gasoline car that does not meet Euro 4 standards – usually any car sold before 2006 – must pay the daily fee of £ 12.50. Diesel vehicles that do not meet the Euro 6 standard – that is, most cars bought before September 2015 – also have to pay. Clean air zones are also planned for Birmingham and Leeds (albeit temporarily delayed). More cities are expected to follow soon. Taxes such as vehicle excise duties are also likely to rise to deter diesel engines and gasoline vehicles.
Electric cars are so expensive. Will I ever be able to afford a new car again?
The cheapest Nissan Leaf costs £ 26,845 which goes up to £ 33,295 for a long-haul Nissan Leaf. This equates to a starting price of £ 13,965 for a Ford Fiesta, £ 20,915 for a Volkswagen Golf and £ 21,955 for a Ford Focus.
But these are list prices. About 70% of new cars are sold under lease contracts known as Personal Contract Plans (PCPs). The price gap between conventional and electric almost disappears with PCPs. For example, the cheapest Nissan Leaf on a PCP at Hingscars.com costs £ 222 per month, compared to £ 237 for a Ford Focus and £ 239 for a Golf.
For a family car, the average EV price is £ 36,100 (£ 33,100 after a government grant) versus £ 23,400 for a traditional family car.
Electric vehicle running costs (no more £ 75 worth of gas station refills) are also much cheaper.
For cash buyers, there is a £ 3,000 government grant for each plug-in car sold for less than £ 50,000. Johnson said in that package of announcements that an additional £ 582 million in grants will be made available for those who buy zero or low emission vehicles but full details are not yet available.
I live in an apartment or terraced house. Where will I charge my car?
The government is pledging £ 1.3 billion in the announcement “to accelerate the introduction of EV charging points in homes, streets and highways across England”. Almost everyone agrees that installing the new infrastructure will be a major challenge from 2030 onwards. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders estimates the UK will need 2.8 million public roadside charging points at a total cost of £ 17 billion, as well as 8.3 million private household charging points and 7,000 high-speed chargers.
Dundee is the UK city with the most advanced charging capacity for electric vehicles, but council officials say, “There is a long, long way to go here too. It’s a big financial and technical challenge. “
However, charging is extremely innovative. Perhaps there will be a mix of slow lamppost charging stations near your home, drive-over charging mats and fast charging stations that are gradually replacing gas stations.
The government has brought forward its regulations banning gas boilers in new homes until 2023. Photo: Ronstik / Alamy
Do I have to replace my old gas boiler?
No, but you will get an incentive to install a heat pump when your boiler has achieved the best. Heat pumps are electrical devices that work the other way around like a refrigerator, drawing heat from the air or the ground without emitting gases.
The government’s goal is to install 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028 – compared to just 25,000 last year in a country where 1.5 million gas boilers are installed or replaced every year. Most of the changes will take place in newly built homes. The government has brought forward its regulations originally planned for 2025 to ban gas boilers in new houses by 2023.
Flat dwellers have to rely on communal heating systems as a better solution than individual gas boilers.
How much do i have to pay?
These pumps are expensive: while a new gas boiler, including installation, costs around £ 2,500, a ground source heat pump typically costs £ 11,000 to £ 15,000, while an air pump costs around £ 5,000 to £ 8,000. The installation may also require digging.
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Radiators may also not get as hot as a gas boiler. The pumps work better with underfloor heating systems. But once installed, proponents say they should shed a few hundred pounds off annual heating bills in a properly insulated home.
Can I get a grant for these new pumps?
Yes. The government’s Green Homes Grant allows homeowners and landlords to apply for a grant of up to £ 5,000. As part of the new announcements, the government has added £ 1bn to the £ 2bn available under the contract. Pedro Guertler from the E3G climate think tank said, however: “Demand far exceeds supply and the grants must be financed over the longer term.”
