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Government Boiler scrappage scheme benefiting thousands

Government Boiler scrappage scheme benefiting thousands

The government's new scrappage scheme, announced in the pre-Budget report - which offers people the chance to trade in an old boiler to qualify for a discount on the cost of a new boiler - has seen 44% of vouchers claimed in England.

Some 54,758 vouchers have so far been claimed (since it was launched on 5 January), allowing those taking part to benefit from a £400 reduction in price for replacing an old boiler with a new more efficient system have been claimed, helping those taking part to potentially lower energy bills and maximise usage, with around 70,000 still available.

However, many in the industry believe that the new scrappage scheme is not as effective as it could be and failing to reach those in need.

The new scheme, according to the government, has been introduced to help households reduce their Gas bills, cut CO2 emissions and support thousands of jobs.

Those that own their homes or landlords that rent homes are eligible to take part in the scheme, but housing associations, social landlords and boiler installers cannot.

There are currently around three and a half million properties in England that use the least efficient types of boiler.

The company behind the government that is helping to run the scheme - The Energy Saving Trust (EST), has said it has already received around 400,000 calls regarding the programme, with just under 14% of these actually taking up the offer.

Fraser Winterbottom, of the EST said: "There are still thousands more vouchers to be claimed".

The highest take-up rate has been seen in the south east of England, where 9,387 vouchers were issued. Next was the north west  with 8,186 clams, followed by the smallest take-up in the north east with just 3,412.

Some of the big energy companies have responded to the scheme by matching the £400 discount off their own boilers.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the scheme had been "incredibly popular", but one group that represents plumbers and heating contractors said it "fell short" of helping those in the industry.

In order to qualify for the boiler scrappage scheme, households must have a working G-rated boiler. G-rated boilers tend to be more than 15 years old and gas-fired.

Another good sign to indicate whether you have a G-rated boiler is if the pilot light is permanently illuminated. Boilers that are oil-fired and over 25 years old are also likely to be eligible.

Those aged under 60 are only eligible for the scheme if the boiler in question works and is the main boiler used to heat the home. For everybody aged 60+, the boiler does not have to be in working order.

After householders find that they qualify for a replacement under the scheme, the next step is to get a quote for a new one from a qualified installer, costing anywhere between £2,000 and £3,000.

Next, they need to provide the EST with details of the previous boiler, together with the boiler installer they are using to fit the new one. The EST will also require confirmation that the installer has made a visit and provided a proper quote for the work that needs to be carried out.

With all of the previous steps in order, a voucher worth £400 will be issued to the successful applicant. This will be refunded after the work has been finished and the EST has received both the invoice for the work and the voucher.

The voucher must be used within 12 weeks of the issue date.

The householder is initially required to pay the bill in full before being able to claim the £400 back from the EST, which shouldn't take any more than 25 working days from the date the paperwork reaches the Trust.

Written by Sam Gooch
Monday, 15 February 2010 12:14
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Comments (1)

The comments listed below are opinions held by the individuals posting and are not endorsed by, or representative of opinions held by which4u.co.uk. We cannot be held responsible or liable for the accuracy or content of any comments submitted. We reserve the right to publish, remove or edit comments as we see fit.
  • Saqib Hussainmir 2010-02-23 13:27:01
    Scrappage scheme sound worth but still seems to be a lot of burdon on majority of population as to install a new boiler cost about 4000 pounds, which is too much to afford. Government should take initiate to provide boilers either free of charge or cheaper boiler as consumers has to pay large amount of bills to Gas companies who already making sky rocketing profits. I hope that this will offer ordinary people a hugh benefit and on top of that they would feel more encouraged to switch with this scheme.

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