The government is being urged to relaunch the boiler scrappage scheme in England ahead of the winter by The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC).
The boiler scrappage scheme was first introduced in 2010, and was designed to encourage homeowners to replace their old inefficient boilers with new models. This would save on energy bills and reduce the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.
Amid tough economic times in the UK, unemployment is a major problem and fuel poverty is affecting many people. This is when you spend 10% or more of your income on fuel. With people struggling to pay the rising costs of gas and electricity, the government is being called to help those with inefficient boilers.
Of course, many homeowners simply don’t have the funds available to justify a large upfront cost for a new boiler, which is why the scrappage scheme was so popular. It allowed people to upgrade to a recommended A-rated efficient boiler, and have some of the cost refunded.
The scheme is still used in Scotland and the Heating and Hotwater Council have appealed to Chancellor George Osborne to add this to his Pre Budget Report on November 29.
You really could save hundreds of pounds every year with a new efficient boiler, and the average householders’ bills are reduced by £290 every year. 118,618 boilers were replaced with the scheme first time round, which has produced a combined saving of £34 million.
Trade association SBGI’s chief executive Mike Foster said: “Given the state of our economy, the Boiler Scrappage Scheme is a real no-brainer.”
He also says that the amount of benefits make the scheme worthwhile, as British jobs will be protected and people will be able to cut their fuel bills and greenhouse gas emissions. The scheme would also raise money for the Treasury.
The HHIC also say they’re fully committed to supporting the growth of domestic heating and hot water industry in the UK.
