Plans to phase out fossil fuel boilers in Manx homes put back to 2024

There are about 200 new homes built on the island each year

Proposals for designs for new buildings and extensions to meet low-carbon heating system criteria have been "pushed back", the government has said.

The move, which will withhold approvals for fossil fuel boilers in new builds, had been due to be rolled out in August but will now start in January.

It is part of the Isle of Man government's commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

A government spokesman said the delay would "ensure the public are prepared".

From 1 January 2024, building control authorities will require applications to include low-carbon heating systems.

'Transition period'

It follows a consultation earlier this year to gauge public opinion on phasing in the new rules.

The government spokesman said the change was in preparation for a legal ban on fossil fuel boilers in new properties, which will come into force a year later.

From then, it would be "illegal to install a fossil fuel heating system in new buildings and extensions, including where planning permission or building control had already been granted," he said.

Under the planned changes, developers with previously approved planning applications for homes that had not yet installed the systems would need to re-apply for permission to put in an alternative from January.

Climate Change Transformation Board chairwoman Daphne Caine said: "Rejecting plans in 2024 will allow for a transition period, meaning we don't continue to grant approval for new buildings with fossil fuel heating systems in the lead up to the ban in 2025."

The move would assure people buying new properties that their home was "future-proofed", she added.