A 2025 deadline to ban fossil fuel boilers in new-build housing is achievable, the chairman of Manx Utilities believes.

Ramsey MHK Dr Alex Allinson was responding to Chief Minister Howard Quayle’s announcement last week of a global climate change ’emergency’.

Launching plans for Active Travel priority routes last week, Mr Quayle revealed that a Climate Change Bill will be presented to Tynwald in the next legislative year and a series of imminent actions brought into play.

These include banning diesel and petrol engine cars by 2040 and a ban on new-build housing having fossil fuel boilers as early as 2025.

Dr Allinson (pictured), chairman of Manx Utilities, said: ’I think that the 2025 target is achievable.’

He accepted the deadline was tight but added: ’There is a demand from the public for action on climate change and this will necessitate us changing a lot of the options we have grown accustomed to and presenting viable alternatives which in some cases will be legislated for.’

So what are the alternatives to oil and gas boilers in homes?

Dr Allinson said: ’We still have a lot of people who use electricity storage heaters but there are a range of newer technologies available to heat a home and provide hot water using electricity rather than gas or oil.

’Air source heat pumps and electric water heaters are now very cost effective and are more suitable for some flats and smaller premises which do not have access to a flue.

’Ground source heat pumps are very effective but require a degree of available land.’

He said this is something that should be considered with the design of new Castle Rushen High School as the pipework could easily lie under a sports field and provide heat and hot water for the whole school.

The MU chairman said biomass is difficult for smaller properties because of the amount of storage space you will need.

He added: ’From an MU perspective we are looking at increasing the amount of electricity we produce from renewables. To invest in wind and solar we are consulting the public about a "green tariff" which would fund this.

’As more people drive EVs and use electric forms of heating we will need to increase our electrical output to meet demand.

’It would be logical to do this by investing in renewables to allow the gradual transition to a carbon neutral industrial strategy before 2050.’

Dr Allinson said Manx Utilities will be launching its own scheme to install air source heat pumps on a long-term finance deal.

This would help customers with some of the higher upfront costs.