Gas Boilers in Haywards Heath and Sussex: do you really need to switch to a heat pump?
- Terry Matthews
- Mar 17, 2025
- 10 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Last updated: 2 February 2026
If you’ve seen headlines saying gas boilers are being “banned”, or that you’ll be forced into a heat pump, you’re not alone. I hear it weekly from homeowners across Sussex.
Here’s the straight answer.
You do not need to panic, you do not need to rip out a working gas boiler, and if your gas boiler breaks you can usually replace it with another gas boiler.
This article is not anti heat pumps. We install and service them too. It’s simply about cutting through the noise and helping you make the right call for your home, your comfort, and your budget.
Quick answers (for busy homeowners)
• Can I keep my gas boiler if it’s working?
Yes. There is no rule that forces you to remove a working gas boiler.
• If my gas boiler dies, can I replace it with another gas boiler?
In most existing homes on the gas grid, yes.
• Are heat pumps more efficient than gas boilers?
Yes, they can be. But efficiency is not the same thing as running cost.
• Will gas boilers disappear overnight?
No. Policy is focused on improving homes, improving efficiency, and helping people switch when it suits them, not forcing everyone at once.
The myth that won’t die: “Gas boilers are banned"
Let’s keep this simple.
A lot of the panic comes from headlines mixing up three different things:
New build rules (what can be fitted in brand new homes)
Long term goals (what the UK wants to achieve over decades)
Existing homes (what you and I live in right now)
For most homeowners in Sussex, your situation sits in number 3.
What government has actually said about existing boilers
“We’ll never force anyone to rip out their boiler and replace it with a heat pump.”
A government energy minister later reinforced:
“Gas boilers will remain available for the foreseeable future.”
Even Labour’s Ed Miliband, known for pushing green policies, admitted:
“We have never had plans for a gas boiler ban.”
💡 Bottom line? You can keep your gas boiler and even install a new one for decades to come—without worrying about sudden changes.
Government statements have repeatedly stressed that people will not be forced to rip out an existing boiler. In 2023, the Prime Minister said you would never be forced to remove an existing boiler.
More recently, the 2026 Warm Homes Plan messaging is built around a simple idea: upgrades are there if and when households want to.
So yes, the direction of travel is toward lower carbon heating over time.But no, this is not a situation where a working gas boiler must be removed.
What is changing for new builds
New build standards are a different conversation.
The Future Homes Standard is intended to apply to new homes built from 2025, expecting high efficiency and low carbon heating.
That’s about new houses going forward, not forcing changes in existing homes in Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Lindfield, Hassocks, Cuckfield and the surrounding villages.
If your gas boiler breaks: can you fit another gas boiler?
This is the bit most blogs avoid saying clearly, so I’ll say it plainly.
The simple answer
For most existing homes connected to mains gas, if your gas boiler breaks you can replace it with another gas boiler.
A like for like modern condensing boiler is often the lowest disruption option, with the lowest upfront cost, and it can be a very sensible solution for many Sussex homes.
When you might consider something else
You might decide a heat pump (or a hybrid) makes sense if:
• You are doing a big renovation anyway (radiators, insulation, cylinder, pipework)
• You are off the gas grid (oil or LPG) and want to move away from fuel deliveries
• Your home is already well insulated and you can run low flow temperatures
• You are planning solar and battery and want to electrify most of the home
• You want to reduce carbon and are happy to invest for the longer term
If that’s you, brilliant. Heat pumps can be fantastic when they’re designed properly.
But that is a choice, not a rule.
If your boiler is on its last legs and you want straight advice without pressure, book a survey or chat with Smart Heat Experts Ltd here.
Heat pumps vs gas boilers: efficiency is not the same as running cost
This is where people get caught out.
A heat pump can be “more efficient” and still cost more to run if electricity is priced much higher than gas.
How the numbers work (without the maths headache)
• A modern gas boiler might run around 90 to 92% efficient seasonally in the real world.
• A well designed air source heat pump might deliver roughly 2.5 to 4 units of heat for every 1 unit of electricity used (often called COP or SCOP, depending how it’s measured).
So yes, heat pumps can be very efficient.
But the price per kWh matters.
Real world unit rates in 2026
As of 1 January to 31 March 2026, average UK price cap unit rates (direct debit) are listed by Ofgem as:
Electricity: 27.69p per kWh
Gas: 5.93p per kWh
That gap is the big reason gas is still often cheaper to run in many homes, even though a heat pump is more efficient.
A simple cost comparison (per unit of heat)
Example A: Gas boiler at 92% efficiencyTo get 1 kWh of heat, you need about 1.09 kWh of gas.At 5.93p per kWh, that’s roughly 6.45p per kWh of heat.
Example B: Heat pump running at COP 3To get 1 kWh of heat, you need about 0.33 kWh of electricity.At 27.69p per kWh, that’s roughly 9.23p per kWh of heat.
Example C: Heat pump running at COP 4That becomes roughly 6.92p per kWh of heat.
So in plain English:
• If your heat pump runs very efficiently and your tariff is right, it can be close to gas.• If your home forces higher temperatures, or the system is poorly designed, it can become expensive.
This is exactly why heat pump design matters so much.
What makes a heat pump brilliant, and what makes it struggle
A heat pump is not a boiler swap. It’s a different style of heating.
Insulation and heat loss come first
Heat pumps work best in homes that lose heat slowly.
That usually means:
• Decent loft insulation
• Good window and door seals
• Reasonable wall insulation where possible• Draft control (especially older properties)
If the home leaks heat fast, the heat pump has to work harder, and costs can climb.
Radiators and flow temperature
Most heat pumps are happiest running lower flow temperatures than a boiler.
If radiators are too small, the system compensates by pushing the temperature up, and efficiency drops.
Sometimes it’s a couple of radiator upgrades.
Sometimes it’s a larger upgrade across the house.
It depends on the heat loss and the layout & every house, home, scenario is different.
Heat pumps are usually “steady”, boilers are usually “bursty”
A gas boiler is not just an on off blast heater. A modern condensing boiler can modulate its flame, so it can ramp up when you need fast heat, but it can also run low and steady when the house is up to temperature.
That steady, lower output running is often where boilers are most efficient, because they can condense properly and waste less heat up the flue. In plain terms, if your system is set up well, a boiler can gently maintain comfort rather than constantly cycling on and off.
This is also why boiler settings matter so much. If the boiler flow temperature is set too high, or the thermostat is constantly forcing big temperature swings, the boiler can short cycle, overshoot, and spend less time condensing. If the flow temperature is reduced to what the radiators actually need, and controls are tuned properly, the boiler can run calmer, quieter, and cheaper.
Heat pumps are similar in one key way: they also tend to perform best when they are not being forced to chase big temperature jumps. A heat pump is most efficient when it can run lower temperatures into the system and keep the home steady. That does not mean it has to run 24 7, but it generally prefers longer, steadier run times rather than stop start bursts, because every big warm up demands higher output and usually a higher flow temperature, which reduces efficiency.
So both systems can maintain a steady temperature, but they do it differently. A boiler has the ability to deliver a lot of heat quickly, then back off. A heat pump is designed to deliver heat more gradually and efficiently over longer periods, especially in a well insulated home with radiators sized for lower temperatures.
For boilers, efficient usually means:
• Flow temperature set no higher than needed
• Good modulation, less on off cycling
• Thermostat and TRVs working properly
• Weather compensation used where suitable
• Clean, well balanced system water flow
For heat pumps, efficient usually means:
• Low flow temperatures
• Radiators or underfloor designed for lower temps
• Steady indoor temperature with gentle control changes
• Good insulation and lower heat loss
• Correct sizing and proper commissioning
Tariffs, solar and batteries can change the picture
Some homeowners get great results when they combine:
• A well designed heat pump
• Solar and battery storage
• A sensible electricity tariff
It’s not a requirement, but it can make a noticeable difference.
The cheapest win for most homes: improve the system you’ve already got
Whether you stick with gas or go to a heat pump later, the biggest comfort and bill improvements usually come from basics done properly.
The “best value” upgrade order
Get the boiler serviced and checked properly
Fix obvious system issues (sludge, air, poor circulation)
Balance radiators, sort controls, set proper temperatures
Upgrade controls (smart thermostat, zoning where sensible)
Improve insulation and draft proofing
Only then decide if you want to change the heat source
If your radiators have cold spots, noisy pipework, or some rooms never get warm, sorting the system can feel like a brand new heating upgrade.
Internal links you can add in Wix:
Boiler servicing: https://www.smartheatexperts.co.uk/boiler-servicing
Boiler installations: https://www.smartheatexperts.co.uk/boiler-installations-haywards-heath
What about SGN upgrades and the gas network?
People often ask, “If gas is being phased out, why are the streets being dug up for new gas pipes?”
Good question.
Why you see gas mains work happening locally
Across the UK, older iron gas mains are being replaced under a safety driven programme overseen by the Health and Safety Executive.
That work:
• Improves safety
• Reduces leakage
• Replaces ageing infrastructure with modern materials
It does not mean gas is being expanded forever.
But it does show the network is being maintained, upgraded, and made safer.
SGN also publicly shares local works and network upgrade activity, including Mid Sussex areas.
Is this about hydrogen?
Some gas network upgrades are described as “hydrogen ready” in the sense that modern plastic mains could carry different gases in the future. Haywards heath and many Sussex towns have been upgraded.
But the key point for homeowners is this:
The role of hydrogen for home heating is still being assessed, with government indicating decisions and consultation around the mid 2020s.
So if someone tells you “hydrogen is definitely coming to your boiler next year”, take it with a pinch of salt.
What Sussex homeowners told me (anonymised)
asked locally and got a flood of honest replies. Names removed, wording kept as close as possible.
• “We’re in a new build and it came with a heat pump. We love it, the house stays warm.”
• “We looked into it and it’s not for us right now. Electric costs are high and the system runs differently to a boiler.”
• “Two winters in, it’s expensive unless your house is seriously insulated. Solar and battery helps.”
• “We moved from oil and it’s been a huge improvement. No oil smell, no deliveries, and it’s quieter than expected.”
• “Old Victorian style house. We upgraded radiators and cylinder and keep it steady at 19. It’s very comfortable, but on the coldest days you feel the cost.”
• “We had one put into a poor EPC rental and it was a nightmare. The home leaked heat and it could not keep up.”
That last point is important.
Heat pumps are not magic.
They are a tool In the right home, brilliant In the wrong home, frustrating and expensive.
So what should you actually do right now?
Here’s the most sensible approach for most Sussex homeowners.
If your gas boiler is working
• Keep it
• Service it yearly
• Improve controls and radiator performance
• Sort the system issues that waste money
If your gas boiler is old or unreliable
You have two sensible routes:
Route 1: Replace with a modern gas boilerUsually the lowest disruption and often the lowest cost way to restore reliability and comfort.
Route 2: Get a proper heat pump assessmentOnly worth it if you are happy with the change in system design and your home suits it.
If you are off the gas grid
Heat pumps can be a stronger option if you are currently on oil or LPG, especially if you were already spending heavily on fuel deliveries, tanks, or old kit.
But the same rule applies: the home has to suit it, and it has to be designed properly.
Want honest advice for your home in Sussex?
If you want help deciding what makes sense for your property, we can talk it through without the scare tactics.
We cover Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Lindfield, Hassocks, Cuckfield, Ardingly, Hurstpierpoint, and nearby areas across Mid Sussex, including RH15, RH16, RH17, BN6 and BN7.
01444 672796
WhatsApp: 07418610241
FAQs
Do I have to remove my gas boiler?
No. There is no requirement to remove a working gas boiler.
Can I still replace a broken gas boiler with another gas boiler?
In most existing homes on the gas grid, yes.
Are heat pumps mandatory in the UK?
No. Policy is focused on support and upgrades, not forcing every homeowner into a heat pump.
Are heat pumps always cheaper to run?
Not always. They are more efficient, but electricity prices can make them cost more in some homes.
What makes a heat pump expensive to run?
Poor insulation, undersized radiators, high flow temperatures, and poor design.
Also cost per KWh
What can I do to reduce heating bills without changing the boiler?
Service the boiler, improve controls, balance the system, upgrade problem radiators, and consider a powerflush if the system is sludged.
Why is SGN replacing gas mains if gas is ending?
Because safety programmes replace ageing iron mains and reduce leaks, regardless of long term energy policy.
Is hydrogen definitely coming to homes?
It’s still being assessed. Government has indicated it will assess evidence and consult before making strategic decisions on hydrogen for home heating.
Gas boilers are a long-term heating option, and we can help you make the best choice for your home.
📞 Call us: 01444 672796
📲 WhatsApp us: 07418610241
💻 Visit our website: Matthews Plumbing & Maintenance
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🔹 Don’t let fear mongering influence your heating choices. Gas is here to stay—let’s make sure your home heating is ready for the future!