The Great Grid Switch Off: How to fairly manage the transition away from gas

The Great Grid Switch Off September 2025 4.11 MB

85% of homes in the UK are currently on the gas grid, primarily using gas for heating and cooking. To reach net zero targets by 2050, households will have to decarbonise their heating by moving away from fossil fuels. Government policy direction and independent advisers suggest that most consumers are likely to move to electrified heat sources such as heat pumps, and disconnect from the gas grid.

The main finding of this research is that the business as usual approach to maintaining and financing the gas grid will become unsustainable. It will not be possible for all the costs discussed in this report to be recovered from consumer bills. Some element of public funding and development of other alternative funding models will be essential to achieve a cost-effective and efficient transition away from using gas.