The UK government is poised to scrap the so-called “boiler tax” after manufacturers hiked the price of new gas boilers to cover the fines they have to pay if new targets to fit eco-friendly heat pumps in homes are missed.
The move, which will disappoint environmentalists, comes several months after Rishi Sunak announced a watering-down of the UK’s net-zero policies, a climbdown that included pushing back the deadline for banning new petrol and diesel cars.