The variety of households in England and Wales in search of authorities grants to assist fund the set up of low carbon heating techniques noticed yet one more uptick in July, with month-to-month purposes reaching their second highest stage for the reason that Boiler Improve Scheme launched in 2022.
Official information launched right this moment reveals the grant scheme – which presents grants of as much as £7,500 to switch family fossil fuel boilers with low carbon options comparable to warmth pumps or biomass boilers – attracted greater than 3,000 purposes final month.
The consequence marks a 13 per cent improve on the earlier month, and can also be double the variety of purposes acquired a 12 months in the past in July 2023, when there have been simply over 1,500 requests for Boiler Improve Scheme (BUS) grants.
The one month to surpass the variety of purposes recorded in July was October 2023, when there was a surge in new purposes on the again of the federal government’s choice to extend the grants accessible for warmth pumps from £5,000 to £7,500.
Gav Murray, the director Centrica’s sensible residence power system agency Hive Heating, mentioned the continued rise in purposes for the BUS even throughout the summer time months “is a transparent indication of the dedication households have in direction of investing in inexperienced know-how”.
“Through the summer time break, heating our properties is the very last thing individuals need to take into consideration,” he mentioned. “Nevertheless, it stays an ideal alternative for householders to improve their heating techniques and make the most of grant-funding forward of the winter season. As extra incentives to put money into a warmth pump develop into accessible, together with dynamic tariffs, extra householders are starting to recognise the long-term advantages – not just for the planet’s future but in addition for his or her power payments.”
The BUS has now attracted virtually 49,000 purposes since its launch, with simply over 30,000 grants awarded so far, in line with the Division for Power Safety and Web Zero (DESNZ).
Round half the grants have been used to assist fund the substitute of fossil fuel heating techniques, with a fifth changing oil-based heating techniques, and many of the the rest paid out to new properties, in line with right this moment’s information.
It additionally reveals the median value of buying and putting in an air supply warmth pump by way of the grant scheme stands at simply over £13,000, rising to £25,000 for a floor supply warmth pump.
Separate information earlier this month revealed greater than 250,000 warmth pumps accredited by way of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) have now been put in within the UK.
Nevertheless, the federal government nonetheless faces a serious uphill problem whether it is to satisfy its goal for 600,000 warmth pump installations yearly by 2028.
The newest BUS figures come amid rising requires a quicker rollout of low carbon heating techniques and power effectivity upgrades, after Ofgem final week confirmed power payments are set to rise by 10 per cent on common this winter.
In the meantime, the federal government’s Committee on Gasoline Poverty yesterday warned that the variety of gas poor properties in England has barely improved over the previous 5 years, with greater than three million households nonetheless struggling to pay their power payments in 2023.
As such, the federal government is beneath growing stress to offer extra assist for susceptible and gas poor households, notably within the wake of its controversial choice to chop Winter Gasoline Funds for some pensioners.
Jess Ralston, head of power on the Power and Local weather Intelligence Unit (ECIU), mentioned the UK’s reliance on fossil fuel for heating and electrical energy was persevering with to depart households uncovered to important prices within the wake of the power disaster.
Nevertheless, she added that the newest BUS information indicated how preliminary “teething points” surrounding the scheme had been largely overcome, as increasingly more properties and companies recognise the advantages of shifting away from fuel boilers.
“With power independence on the prime of the federal government’s agenda, the writing is on the wall for fuel boilers and it is now a query of when, not if, individuals make the change away from fuel which can more and more come from overseas because the North Sea continues its inevitable decline,” Ralston mentioned.
“Nevertheless, it stays to be seen how a lot the boiler business will attempt to stand in the way in which of laws that ought to see the UK’s warmth pump provide chains flourish additional, and with the federal government because of implement the Clear Warmth Market Mechanism in April, holding agency towards the incumbent foyer would ship a transparent sign to the markets and the general public about the way forward for heating.”
Yesterday, Power Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh met with UK power suppliers to debate technique of supporting customers with anticipated excessive power prices this winter, after which she insisted the federal government would “do every little thing we are able to to assist susceptible households”.
Regardless of the robust inheritance, this Authorities will do every little thing we are able to to assist susceptible households.
I had a optimistic assembly with power suppliers right this moment in regards to the steps we are able to take collectively to assist these struggling to pay their payments this winter. pic.twitter.com/hNf6JjSaQB
— Miatta Fahnbulleh (@Miatsf) August 28, 2024
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