Government Announces Renewable Heat Premium Payments
The systems covered by the scheme are biomass boilers, ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps and solar thermal hot water panels.
Renewable Heat Premium Payments offer grants of:
Ground Source Heat Pumps – £1250 (for homes without mains gas heating)
Biomass Boilers - £950 (for homes without mains gas heating)
Air Source Heat Pump - £850 (for homes without mains gas heating)
Solar Thermal Hot Water - £300 (for homes with any type of heating system)
The grants exclude mains gas for ground source heat, air source heat and biomass boiler due to carbon and cost savings being relatively low. Cost effective savings are evident against electric, LPG and oil heating systems.
Greg Barker, Climate Change Minister, said that Premium Payments are aimed at helping those households who are reliant on expensive fuels such as electricity and oil. The grants will enable households to become more economical and drive a new wave in the renewable market.
Participants of the scheme will be asked to fill out a set of surveys, aimed at providing the government with valuable information on the performance of renewable heat technology in-situ.
Applications will only be accepted if cavity wall and loft insulation works have already been carried out, wherever practical. This is to ensure that the new technologies are as efficient as possible when installed.
The Renewable Heat Premium Payments are open to applications for 8 months (1st August 2011 – 31st March 2011).