Misleading and confusing hydrogen boiler marketing has caused several companies to revoke statements about the gas from their websites.
An investigation by Sky News found that companies such as British Gas, Boiler Central and Worcester Bosch removed statements regarding homeowners installing boilers powered by hydrogen.
While hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in decarbonisation and supporting the race towards net zero, the government says its potential use in homes and properties won’t be decided until 2026.
Climate Change Committee chief executive Chris Stark told Sky News that that “no one should be installing a gas boiler thinking that hydrogen is a sure thing” or a way of future-proofing their home.
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Boiler Central’s director James Elston denied misleading customers but accepted the company’s content could have been clearer.
In an interview, he told Sky News that Boiler Central had made changes to its website, “tidying up some of the generalisations.”.
“We’re saying a new boiler is more efficient than an old, it can save you money and it can save you on your carbon footprint,” he continued.
“Linking it directly to hydrogen is where we’ve separated… where we’ve changed the content,” added Elston.
Worcester Bosch’s website claimed that hydrogen “is what the government will be introducing into the UK gas grid” and “the UK will, eventually, switch from natural gas to 100% hydrogen”.
In response to questions from Sky News, the company removed the statements from the website and said in a written response: “Ensuring our customers have all the information they need to make home heating-related purchase decisions with confidence is paramount.
“Worcester Bosch continues to review and adapt product-related communications to reflect industry updates on an ongoing basis.
“We are looking to change the wording on this particular web page to reflect your observations.”
