More money for renewable heating kit
Money off vouchers available under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme
Press notice: 13/047
Householders across Great Britain will be able to get even more cash for renewable heating kit, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced today.
The money off vouchers available under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme have been increased to £2,300 for ground source heat pumps, £2,000 for biomass boilers, £1,300 for air source heat pumps and £600 for solar thermal systems.
The RHPP scheme, first launched in July 2011, is designed to encourage householders to switch to renewable heat from traditional heating systems by offering money off the cost of the equipment. The scheme is targeted at those living off the gas grid, where most money on bills and carbon can be saved.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:
“Over 10,000 householders have already taken advantage of money off renewable heating kit and we want to see even more consumers stepping up to the plate and getting on board.
“But I want to go even further. I want to kick start this exciting new market for consumer renewable heat technologies.
“This time limited, big increase in the value of vouchers for hardworking people who want to do something positive to install money saving green heating in their homes, should be a real boost for this growing green sector.”
The scheme was extended in March this year until the end of March 2014 ahead of the launch of a Renewable Heat Incentive for householders, with around £12million up for grabs.
Alongside changes to the voucher values, householders will now be required to undertake a Green Deal assessment before submitting a claim to the Energy Saving Trust to redeem their voucher. This will help householders think about how renewable heat could fit with energy efficiency improvements for their home and ensure they are advised on choosing the right technology for them. The additional voucher values are intended to reflect the cost of a Green Deal assessment, as well as the cost of getting these technologies installed in homes. Householders can also use the Green Deal to pay for some of the cost through savings on their energy bill.
The increased voucher values and Green Deal assessment requirement will kick in for any applications submitted today onwards.
Notes for Editors
- Householders can apply for the RHPP scheme on the EST website
- The new voucher values under the RHPP scheme will be: Ground Source Heat Pumps - £2,300 (up from £1,250); Biomass boilers - £2,000 (up from £950); Air Source Heat Pumps - £1,300 (up from £850); Solar Thermal - £600 (up from £300).
- More information on the RHPP scheme can be found on the GOV.UK website
- Since July 2011, DECC has run two phases of the household voucher scheme and has supported over 10,000 new renewable heat installations.
- DECC will announce the final details of the Renewable Heat Incentive for householders in summer 2013 and it is intended that the scheme will be up and running in spring 2014.