Boiler Replacement

As part of the UK government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO), if you receive a qualifying benefit and your boiler is 10+ years old, you may be entitled to grant funding towards a brand new A-rated boiler.

The free boiler grants are funded by UK energy companies and does not need to be repaid.

Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation (HHCRO)

The Home Heat Cost Reduction Obligation provides free boiler and insulation grants to homeowners, tenants landlords who receive certain means-tested benefits. It aims to reduce fuel poverty amongst low-income households by ensuring that heat is generated as efficiently as possible and is prevented from escaping from the home.

Eligible benefits

Eligibility for a free boiler grant will depend on several factors. Firstly, a permanent resident within the property needs to be in receipt of one of the following benefits, such as:

• Child tax credit
• Child benefit (with a qualifying household income)
• Working tax credit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Pension credit
• Job seekers allowance
• Universal credit
• Employment and support allowance

 

there must be an existing low-efficiency boiler within the property. All boilers are rated by their energy efficiency. Most modern units will work at around 90% efficiency (only losing 10% output when converting fuel to heat). A boiler installed around 10 years ago will most likely be around 65-80% efficient. So, by upgrading this old boiler to a new one, the carbon savings will be significant enough to warrant the cost and therefore will qualify under the free boiler scheme.

Funding for the free boiler scheme has been reduced in recent years, as part of an agreement that utility companies reduce their customer’s fuel bills. This has made it harder to find installers with funding available, particularly as most of the big 6 utility companies have already met their targets. We expect this trend to continue, however, it is still possible to receive a free boiler grant and we can help you at Grants4u