The New Affordable Warmth Heating Grants
Your household may be eligible for free heating and insulation improvements with new ECO (Energy Company Obligation) Heating Grants. The Affordable Warmth Heating Grant Scheme begins in November 2012 and is designed to help people on certain income related benefits who spend more than 10% of their income on heating and other utility bills. Many UK properties that are still poorly insulated and also have unreliable and efficient central heating systems can benefit from this new scheme.
An Affordable Warmth Grant helps by providing the funds to install the measures and equipment which will make a huge difference to bills. A new condenser boiler will reduce your heating bills by around 30%, on average according to the Energy Saving Trust the average saving is around £300 a year. Loft and Cavity Wall Insulation will save a similar sum and if your house has Solid Walls then the grant will provide the funds to install Solid Wall insulation.
Fitterhome are accredited Green Deal Assessors and Installers and are able to access ECO funding if your household qualifies. The funding is generated by the utility companies, who are obligated by the Government to spend £1.4 billion every year to reduce carbon emissions in the UK (so it’s not tax payer funded). The Affordable Warmth Scheme effectively replaces Warmfront which was suspended in 2011 during the Governments comprehensive spending review.
Affordable Warmth Eligibility Criteria
You must either own your home or rent it from a private landlord?
Qualifying benefits include;
1. Child Tax Credit (with household income under £15,860)
2. Income Related Employment & Support Allowance
3. Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
4. Income Support
5. State Pension Credit
6. Working Tax Credit (with household income under £15,860)
Energy Company Obligation Grant Application
If your household meets the criteria then our Fitterhome Technical Advisor will visit and will measure the energy efficiency of your home using a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). We will then make recommendations on which energy efficiency improvements are most appropriate for your property please be aware that this is an impartial assessment*.
What is the New Energy Company Obligation Scheme?
From September 2012 all major utility companies are obligated to contribute to the NEW Energy Company Obligation Scheme, their contribution is in proportion to their turnover and the total fund is £1.4 billion each year. The ECO scheme is now split into 2 funding categories;
1. Affordable Warmth (£350 million every year)
Qualifying households can get heating improvements worth up to £3,500 for gas or £6,000 where oil central heating and other alternative technologies are recommended. Changing an old G Rated boiler to a new energy efficient A Rated appliance will typically save £302 every year (based on a typical 3 bedroomed home). All Fitterhome boilers come with our exclusive 10 Year Guarantee and therefore you can cancel that expensive policy too, on average making saving of around £500 every year.
2. Carbon Reduction (1.05 billion)
The majority of Carbon Reduction is focused on poorly insulated homes and provides sufficient finance to deal with difficult to treat properties, such as those with solid walls and also continues to support cavity and loft insulation. Installing insulation can save hundreds of £’s every year click year to learn more about insulation
*You should be aware that the Fitterhome Technical Advisor may find that the energy efficiency of your home is above the threshold required to benefit from the scheme. The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), is the Government’s recommended system for measuring the energy rating of residential properties. To be eligible for ECO assistance your home must have a SAP rating of 55 or below. This is equivalent to the start of a band D Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
