Oil boiler ban will be ‘ULEZ for rural communities’

Plans to ban new oil boilers from 2026 will have a disproportionate impact on rural communities, the prime minister has been warned. Former environment secretary George Eustice said the ban would be “a ULEZ for rural communities”, while the Countryside Alliance said “imposing change from Whitehall” would not work. They are calling for alternative fuels to be permitted in oil boilers. Eustice, who served as environment secretary under Boris Johnson, said a proposed ban on new oil boilers from 2026 would affect 1.7m rural homes. He said: “Rural communities are about to have their own version of the ULEZ dumped on them.” The Times (£)The Telegraph (£)