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Boiler Upgrade scheme now open for landlords to apply

The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has now opened its controversial boiler upgrade scheme.

Landlords across England and Wales as well as owner occupiers may apply for grants of up to £5,000 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump or a biomass boiler, and up to £6,000 off the cost and installation of a ground source heat pump are available between now and 2025. 

The grant is paid directly to the installer and discounted from the price charged.

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The scheme is open to domestic and small non-domestic properties with an installation capacity up to 45kWth (this covers most homes), and with a current Energy Performance Certificate with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation.

Grants are only available for air source heat pumps, biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps (including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops).

Hybrid heat pump systems, for example a combination of a gas boiler and air source heat pump, are not eligible.

Your installer will advise which heating system is suitable for your property and help you to understand the different options.

The new heating system must be capable of meeting the full space heating and hot water requirements of your property, replace an existing fossil fuel heating system (such as oil, gas or electric), and meet certain technical standards, such as minimum efficiency requirements (your installer can advise you on these).

In the recent Spring Statement, the government made improved energy efficiency a key goal, and has made it clear it wants to extend the current Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for the private rented sector in England and Wales. 

This is linked to the Heat and Buildings Strategy launched in October 2021.

You can find more details here.

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    I do not know to much about these systems but are they Likely to be the BETA max of heating systems ?

  •  G romit

    From what I've heard heat pumps are not suitable as a retrofit to older homes. Even with bigger radiators and a large buffer water tank they barely keep you warm and cost a small fortune to run.

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    I've heard the same...no use unless your property is really well insulated etc

     
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    No thanks

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    Half the hones in the UK are eventually going to become unsellable because of this. I don't buy anything below a strong C. I have one property that is a D - which I will sell in a year or two. Its a shame though because there are plenty of grade D and E properties that would make great rentals.

    Homelessness is going to become a huge problem because many old homes are of a design that doesn't work with heat pumps. These houses will be worthless to landlords, and first time buyers won't want them because they won't have the money or knowledge to refurb them. They will end up empty and boarded up. I think most of us can see this scheme is not a practical solution. And sadly the government seems to think its better to have no home than a grade D or E home that for the last 100 years, anybody would have considered to be a good home.

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    Just because the Govt wants us to install heat pumps does not make this a good idea.

    Not only do you need to buy the pump, you will need to ensure insulation is up to standard & probably refit your entire heating system with bigger radiators & pipework, reinstall a hot water tank and then make good where all the work has been done.

    Then the cost - when gas when up from 4p to 7p per kWh electricity went up from 20p to 30p. Even if the % is the same the actual £ is much bigger with electricity, so the running costs will be higher than your gas in most cases.

    Then there is the fact that they won't do the job in most cases & you will need a heat boost of some kind to get your lounge warm enough.

    In short, if heat pumps are the answer its a stupid question!

  • George Dawes

    this is what they mean by build back better - for them , nobody will be able to reach the e p c levels in 2030 with existing stock , they'll take it off you , demolish it and let you rent a rabbit hutch off the government ( and their banker masters )

    you'll own nothing and be happy - or else

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    George, Thatcher demolished British Industry, financed with North Sea oil and gas, and she said we will rise like a "Phoenix from the Ashes", (build Back Better !).Their are still lots of derelict factories and sites. Watch Mark Steyn on GB news showing al the western world leaders saying "build back better".
    I've been in the energy industry zillions of years, people forget how crap heating used to be.The ggas industry modernised fast , and pioneered effective efficient central heating. Electricity has lotsof green taxes on it. However the green industry is now making very good profits due to the high price of electricity. Very good for big landowners.

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    This will mean higher running costs for the tenant. This government are utterly shameless. Insulation grants to cut tenant's bills, I could understand but paying towards increasing them with this stupidity is utter lunacy. The government need to clean up the electricity before coming up with this sort of idiocy. We still have coal-powered electric and lots powered by gas, so until the electric supply is totally clean, this makes no sense. It's not good for the environment, it's not good for tenants (higher bills) and it's certainly not good for landlords (dodgy heat pumps that may be expensive to fix and be prone to problems). Just highlights the imbeciles this so called democracy elects.

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    Eton boys have little idea of the real world

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