Ban fossil boiler sales and installations in new builds while implementing boiler scrappage programs

Policymakers can also consider bans on the sale and installation of boilers that burn fossil fuels, particularly in new builds, to ensure that the use of these boilers dwindles. In tandem, boiler scrappage programs, in which consumers receive a monetary incentive for trading in their fossil-fuel-fired equipment, help complement the stick with a carrot and facilitate a faster phaseout. However, in doing so it is important to consider an equitable transition: the ban on fossil fuels must be done in a way that does not raise energy costs for consumers who can least afford it. Subsidies for heat pumps, like those discussed in Pillar 1: Buildings, are key – as are progressive tax systems that reduce the cost of electricity relative to gas and other fossil fuels, thereby reducing the operating costs for those using electric heating units.