NEWS EXTRA


WHAT INSTALLERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MISLEADING UFH ‘BAN’ HEADLINES


Despite headlines suggesting otherwise, the government’s proposed new Ecodesign rules will not see underfloor heating banned, nor heated towel rails made ‘illegal’. Nabeel Javaid, market & application specialist at heating company Myson explains what’s actually happening


N


ew efficiency standards sparked a wave of concern and controversy in June this year, when multiple media outlets reported an


upcoming government ‘ban’ on underfloor heating and heated towel rails. These headlines, however, are misleading. No technologies are being ‘banned’. Instead, new Ecodesign standards are being introduced that will set a minimum energy performance level for new sales of these products. The move follows a consultation in May by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ): The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products (Local Space Heaters and Separate Related Controls) Regulations 2026. This sets new standards for new sales of electric local space heater products, which include underfloor heating, electric heated towel rails, electric radiators and storage heaters. Wet systems are unaffected. Under the new rules, which are expected to come


into force from 2027, products within this category will have to demonstrate better minimum energy efficiency levels, and include temperature controls and standby and low-power modes. As UK households are responsible for up to 20%


of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, the standards are designed to help the UK’s overall net zero ambition by moving low-performing products off the market, and help homeowners better manage their energy consumption. The move will also encourage higher standards


in system design and installation, accelerate the adoption of low-temperature heating solutions, and support the wider rollout of renewable technologies such as heat pumps.


Existing systems


So what does this mean for existing local space heater products, or systems that are currently being installed? In short: nothing. The standards will apply to newly sold systems only. Despite the dramatic headlines, existing systems – and those sold and installed up to the enforcement date – will not be affected by the new standards, nor will they need to be removed or changed after the date. After the new standards come into force, local space heater technologies will be as common as they are today – they are not being ‘banned’. The only models


permitted for sale from this point onwards will simply need to meet the new Ecodesign standards. The rules are really no different to other


standards that have helped us to phase out old-style lightbulbs and inefficient appliances. The ones that have already been installed will just keep working until they are replaced, at which point the available options will be more efficient and boast better controls. However, policy critics – who believe the


rules restrict consumer choice and add cost and complexity – have been quick to label the rules a ‘ban’, with outlets claiming Ed Miliband is “coming for” underfloor heating and making heated towel rails “illegal”. Some reports suggest that towels rails will “only be allowed to operate for six hours a day”. In reality, towel rails conforming to the new standards will run for a set number of hours per


Above: Nabeel Javaid, market & application specialist at Myson


cycle to limit unnecessary power consumption, instead of being left on permanently.


An opportunity for installers


Installers will need to ensure that the products they offer to customers meet the criteria set by the standards by the enforcement date (this is still to be determined but is expected in 2027). This means it will be necessary for installers to review their suppliers and product catalogues. However, the rules are good news for rising


energy bills, and this is something installers should be clear about when embarking on new projects. More efficient products and greater controls mean lower energy consumption and reduced running costs – through, for example, open window detection, scheduled heating times and boost mode – so installers will be able to support customers in saving money and as well as improving the thermal comfort in their homes. This is also an opportunity for installers to engage their customers on the benefits of heat pumps, which increasingly comprise part of the wider domestic heating system – and come with a £7,500 government grant. So in short, the government is not banning underfloor heating or heated towel rails. The efficiency standards – designed to reduce energy bills and minimise domestic emissions – are proposed to apply to newly sold products only from 2027, and existing systems will be unaffected.


8 August 2026


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