How Does the Government’s Free Boiler Scheme Help Keep You Warm Enough in The Cold?
In the UK, people typically turn their central heating on in the autumn and use it almost daily until the Spring. Heating homes accounts for more than 70% of household energy consumption. Due to this reason, the government free boiler scheme was launched with the goal to reduce carbon footprint and help households with low income to save a significant amount of money on their energy bills and keep you warm enough throughout the winter season.
What is a government boiler scheme?
The Free boiler scheme or ECO3 scheme is a government energy efficiency scheme in the UK to help decrease carbon emissions and combat fuel poverty. This scheme was created to help reduce fuel poverty, carbon emissions and maintain the security of the energy supply. The ECO3 scheme will run until March 2022 and will focus on low income and vulnerable households, helping to meet the government’s fuel poverty commitments.
Under this scheme, the government has made it compulsory for the United Kingdom leading energy suppliers to provide support with heating for the households that need it most. Part of the ECO scheme is known as Affordable Warmth, and it’s this section of the scheme that focuses on providing subsided and free boiler grants and free cavity wall and free loft insulation to those on certain government benefits.
How could the scheme help you?
When the cost of heating your home is a worry, the free boiler scheme can help you reduce your heating costs. An old inefficient boiler might be operating at an efficiency of just 65%, meaning that around 35p of every £1 you spend heating your home effectively is wasted.
A new A-rated boiler would operate at an energy efficiency level in excess of 90%, so far less energy would be wasted when heating your home. This would mean that it would cost you far less to keep your home warm and have hot water on demand.
Can I apply for a free boiler?
Under the free boiler grants scheme, you could be eligible for a boiler grant which would see your old inefficient boiler replaced without any fees with an energy-efficient boiler and enjoy the savings of around £300 pounds each year. The free boiler scheme is open to homeowners.
In order to be eligible for the free boiler, your current boiler must be over seven years old. Boilers that aren’t over seven years are excluded as the scheme assumes that it will be more cost-effective to repair the existing boiler rather than replace it.
The second part of the qualifying criteria for a boiler relates to you being the receipt of several income-related benefits that qualifies you for a free boiler. These include Job Seeker’s Allowance, Child Tax Credit, Income support, Attendance allowance, Constant attendance allowance, Child benefit and Working tax credit among others.
To find out if you qualify for a free boiler grant, get in touch with us today and we’ll check on your eligibility for a boiler grant and handle the whole process for you from start to finish.