Three-quarters of Tory voters oppose Rishi Sunak’s net zero plans for boilers and cars

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Rishi Sunak faces a backlash from Tory homeowners over his net zero plans, with three-quarters opposing the bans on gas boilers and petrol cars.

Polling shows the Prime Minister’s green policies are deeply unpopular with many of the voters who propelled the Conservatives to victory in 2019.

The findings spurred fresh calls from Tory MPs for him to scrap the controversial climate measures amid warnings they will heap extra cost on families.

A survey for the Better Homes Alliance also found that a large number of homeowners are reluctant to make the switch to heat pumps and electrical cars.

Only 33 per cent of all homeowners supported plans for a complete phase out of gas boilers, while 55 per cent opposed a deadline.

About a third backed the proposed a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2035 while 56 per cent were against it.

Rishi Sunak has not abandoned the legally binding targets in his green policies despite some concessions – Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

The numbers were even more stark for Mr Sunak among Tory voting homeowners.

Of those who backed the Conservatives at the last election, 74 per cent opposed the gas boiler phase out and 71 per cent were against the petrol car ban.

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, a former energy secretary, said: “No one votes to be cold and poor.

“The current headlong rush to net zero risks impoverishing the nation to no global benefit on emissions. It is time to pause all these regulations and rethink the whole approach.”

Greg Smith, Tory MP for Buckingham, added: “It’s no surprise that people feel unwilling to make massive and costly lifestyle changes at the whim of the state.

“It is imperative that to meet challenges we allow our great innovators and engineers to come up with solutions that work for people both practically and financially.

“That is the way to take people with you.”

‘A more pragmatic approach’

Mr Sunak unveiled a “more pragmatic, proportionate and realistic approach to meeting net zero that eases the burdens on working people” in autumn 2023.

He announced that he was pushing back the planned ban on new sales of petrol and diesel cars by five years to 2035, mirroring the date set by the EU.

The Prime Minister also promised that those with homes that could never accommodate a heat pump would not be forced to give up their gas boiler.

But it quickly emerged that despite the pledges, Mr Sunak was not abandoning the legally binding targets in the net zero policies.

He is still pressing ahead with plans to enforce the switch to electric vehicles and heat pumps by setting quotas for car firms and boiler makers.

Companies which do not meet targets, which will be ratcheted up each year as an ever larger proportion of their overall sales, will face heavy fines.

Manufacturers of gas boilers have already hiked their prices by up to £120 in anticipation of having to pay the penalties, heaping extra cost on families.

The polling was carried out by YouGov for Better Homes Alliance, an independent business group calling for incentives to drive greater energy efficiency.

Its survey of 1,238 homeowners found 7 in 10 are willing change their lifestyles to cut carbon emissions but do not want to be forced to do so.

However, there was strong resistance to switching to electric cars and heat pumps.

Asked whether they would change to a battery powered vehicle, 19 per cent said they either had already made the swap or were preparing to.

In contrast 38 per cent said they had thought about it and decided against, while a further 25 per cent said they had not considered switching at all.

A third willing to eat less meat

The numbers were similar for heat pumps with only 15 per cent ready to install one and 76 per cent saying they either would not or have not thought of doing so.

Just over a third of homeowners said they were willing to reduce their consumption of red meat to save the planet and a quarter said they would fly less.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero pointed to YouGov polling from summer 2023 which showed 71 per cent of voters support the overall net zero target.

A spokesman said: “We are adopting a fairer and more pragmatic approach to meeting net zero that eases the burdens on working people.

“We are giving families more time to make the transition, ensuring they can switch to electric vehicles when it suits them, and only needing to switch to a heat pump when their boiler needs replacing from 2035 – saving some thousands of pounds at a time.

“Our approach is working. The 50 per cent increase to the Boiler Upgrade Grant has seen more households make the switch to a heat pump and the number of electric vehicles on our roads is growing rapidly,” they added.

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