Looking for a New Boiler? Will a Green Homes Grant Cover the Cost?

The cost of a boiler might leave you feeling as though you cannot afford to cover the cost but the reality is that everyone should have the right to heating and hot water. Fortunately, the Green Homes Grant Scheme announced in 2020 can help to cover the cost and that is certain to leave you feeling relieved.

Depending on the size of your home and the work involved, the cost of a boiler can amount to thousands but the vouchers from the scheme will cover two-thirds of the cost of improvements up to a total of £5,000, which is available to all homeowners. However, for those households on lower incomes, a voucher can be accessed to cover the entire cost of up to £10,000.

As the government is doing everything possible to make the country more efficient and better prepared for a world in which carbon emissions have to be reduced, they are helping people to make better choices when it comes to their boilers. While there are many things that people can do to make their home more efficient, inefficient boilers and heating systems are powered using fuels that are simply a drain on our planet but they are also extremely expensive to run, leading to increased bills.

The main grant in place is the Energy Companies Obligation and this was put in place in 2013 as a way of helping people to cover the cost of installing a new boiler. It is designed for those families on a low income and those who receive benefits and meet the criteria. Where that has no system in place, central heating can also be funded while the benefit criteria has been designed to support those households who are likely to be living in fuel poverty.

Since 2013, the ECO funding has altered whereby private tenants no longer qualify for the boiler grant. However, under the Green Homes Grant Scheme, it looks as though it is possible for landlords to submit claims for vouchers as they own the property.

The amount of funding that a household will receive through ECO will depend on the size and efficiency of the property. For larger properties that are considered to have a low energy efficiency, then they will often be given more money than smaller properties that are more efficient. This can mean that some applicants might find that they have to make a contribution towards the cost, which could be something that they are unable to afford.

For those who do not receive any qualifying benefits yet have a low income or face other hardships which could include health problems, can often go to their local authority via the ECO Flex Scheme All councils will set their own criteria which means that it can vary while anyone who does not fall within the ECO or ECO Flex criteria will not qualify for assistance.

Should the Green Homes Grant extend to covering boiler replacements and new central heating systems, then it will cover many of the shortcomings that are leaving people struggling. It would mean that tenants would be eligible and that people in receipt of benefits would not be required to make contributions while all other households might find that they are able to access help for covering the costs.

It could be the case that the qualifying products are recommended on the Energy Performance Certificate for the property as this was the case in some of the criteria for other grant schemes.