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There’s plenty of talk about whether Britain can really afford to take the lead in combating global warming. But none of this talk seems to have weakened the government’s resolve.
As a nation, it seems we are set to pay a heavy price. The secret for each of us – regardless of whether we believe in global warming or not – is to take advantage of any government-backed schemes that could help with our own personal finances.
Domestic fuel bills to rocket warning
Just last week, the energy regulator, OFGEM, warned in a detailed report looking at Britain’s future energy requirements, that domestic fuel bills might become unaffordable due to the combination of the global financial crisis, tough environmental targets, increasing gas import dependency and the closure of our ageing power stations
OFGEM’s chief executive said that household fuel bills could rise by 25% by 2020. Whether his predictions are accurate or not, there doesn’t seem any doubt that fuel prices are surging and look set to carry on that way,
So whilst it’s in all our interests to make sure we reduce our domestic consumption, when the government is offering us free money to do just that, we really should all sit up and take notice.
And that’s exactly what it’s doing with the boiler scrappage scheme.
The scheme itself
Not many of us are experts when it comes to heating and plumbing matters but now’s the time to check whether your home is one of the three and half million nationwide that still has an old an inefficient G-rated boiler.
If you are the owner of one of these there’s no time to waste as 125,000 households are now eligible for a £400 grant towards the cost of upgrading their old boiler with one of the new highly-efficient A-rated appliances or a renewable heating technology.
The government reckons that the CO2 savings generated by replacing these 125,000 obsolete boilers will be the equivalent of taking 45,000 cars off the road. But you might be more interested in what it saves you on your heating bill.
The good news is that exchanging your old G-rated boiler for an A-rated one should reduce your annual bill by about a quarter. For the average household that’s a saving of around £235 a year – a figure that looks set to rise along with soaring energy prices.
But to get hold of the £400 government grant you will have to act fast.
There is, however, a strict criteria for eligibility. Here’s how to check whether you qualify and how to apply for the grant:
- The scheme is open to 125,000 householders in England living in an owned or privately rented home. It doesn’t apply to those living in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
- If you are a householder (including tenants) under 60 you can only apply for the scheme if the boiler you are scrapping is in working order and is the main boiler used to heat the home.
- If you are a householder (including tenants) and 60 or over you can apply for the scheme regardless of whether the boiler you are scrapping is in working order. However, it still needs to be the main boiler used to heat the home.
Only householders and landlords who privately own and rent dwellings are eligible.
How to tell whether your boiler is G-rated
A simple and quick test is to see if your gas boiler has a permanent pilot light. If it does then it is highly likely to be G-rated. If it is gas fired and over fifteen years old then it is also likely to be eligible. If it is oil fired and over twenty-five years old, again, it is likely to be eligible.
Once you’ve done this, you can make sure you qualify by checking the make and model is G-rated or worse by looking at the Government Boiler Efficiency Database on www.governmentboiler-scrappagescheme.info/EligibilityCheck.php
Registering for the scheme
Once you’ve checked your boiler qualifies, you’ll need to call your chosen installer to come over and provide you with a quote for a new A-rated machine.
Once you have the quote, complete the online application form at http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements-and-products/Heating-and-hot-water/Boiler-Scrappage-Scheme/Application-form or you can call the Act on CO2 advice line on 0800 512012.
You will need to provide your full name, address of the property you want to claim for, the make and model of the boiler being scrapped; the name, address and contact details of the installer who will carry out the replacement and the type of new boiler being installed.
If successful, you should receive a £400 voucher about 10 days after submitting your application. The vouchers are valid for 12 weeks from the date of issue so make sure you don’t delay in getting the work done. If you fail to redeem your voucher in time, it will be cancelled and re-issued to someone else, although you can re-apply and get another voucher if the scheme is still running at that time. Don’t get your boiler replaced before you get your voucher as you won’t get the £400 rebate.
What boiler should you get?
You can redeem your voucher against any boiler that is for A-rated or equivalent. This applies for gas, oil or LPG boilers, boilers with a Passive Flue Heat Recovery Device, Micro CHP units or Microgeneration Certification Scheme-registered biomass boilers and heat pumps.
Solar Thermal is also eligible if combined with an eligible boiler replacement. But electric boilers don’t qualify.
You will need to pay for the new boiler and installation before you can then claim back the £400 by sending the voucher and invoice to the Energy Savings Trust who will reimburse you within 25 days of receipt.
