Ed Miliband is set to restrict the sale and use of electric towel rails, underfloor heating, gas fires and storage heaters as part of his latest Net Zero push, with critics branding the plans “Soviet-level intrusion” into how Britons heat their homes.
Under new energy efficiency requirements being introduced by the Energy Secretary, more than a third of so-called “space heating systems” will become illegal to sell. Temperature controls will become mandatory across these systems, while some electric towel rails will only be permitted to operate for six hours a day. According to Yahoo News, the changes are designed to push consumers towards more costly modern alternatives equipped with smart functions that limit energy use — such as restricting heating to certain times of day or automatically switching off when conditions make continued running inefficient.
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho condemned the move as “Soviet-level intrusion,” arguing that British lives are increasingly “being dictated by net zero legislation.” She said: “Ed Miliband wants to tell you how long your towel rail can be switched on. He’s already decided how you are allowed to dry your pyjamas and now he wants to make it harder to have underfloor heating in your home.”
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice was similarly scathing, accusing Miliband — whom he referred to as “Mad Miliband” — of making households “cold and miserable” in pursuit of climate targets. “Mad Miliband’s latest net zero push to restrict underfloor heating and electric towel rails is utter madness,” he said. “Even the Romans had underfloor heating. This Orwellian move could mean families in the 21st century having to limit the time they spend keeping their homes warm or drying their clothes.”
According to reports, Labour maintains that government intervention is necessary to address what it considers an “unavoidable cost to society” arising from the greenhouse gas emissions produced by such appliances. The latest measures follow Miliband’s earlier move to phase out the sale of condenser tumble dryers in favour of heat-pump alternatives — a change the Daily Sceptic reported had similarly been condemned by the Tories and Reform as a “mad” form of “Soviet control,” and which brings Britain’s rules closer in line with existing European Union regulations. Heat-pump dryers typically cost around £40 more than traditional models, with premium versions priced as high as £1,650.
The towel rail and heating restrictions land at a politically sensitive moment for Miliband, who has faced sustained pressure over fears that his Net Zero agenda could add as much as £1 billion to already rising household energy bills. A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman defended the changes, saying: “Our reforms will save households money by improving the energy efficiency of underfloor heating, towel rails and storage heaters.”
The announcement comes only months after Labour quietly abandoned plans for an outright ban on new gas boilers from 2035, instead permitting households to replace existing gas boilers with new gas models beyond that date, according to the i newspaper — a climbdown from a policy first floated under Boris Johnson and later backed by both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. Sir Keir Starmer had previously sought to distance the government from accusations of dictating how people live, saying in November: “I am interested in making sure their energy bills are stable, that we’ve got energy independence, and that we also, along the way, pick up the next generation of jobs.”
