Renewable Heat Premium Payment

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has today launched the Renewable Heat Premium Payment for the domestic sector.

From 1st August 2011, up to £1,250 funding will be available to householders to help towards the cost of installing renewable heating systems.

Up to 25,000 installations will be funded under the scheme which will be available on a first come first serve basis.

Grants for the following technologies will be available:

• Ground Source Heat Pump – £1250 grant (for off gas grid properties only)
• Biomass boiler – £950 grant (for off gas grid properties only)
• Air source heat pump – £850 grant
• Solar thermal hot water panels – £300 grant

The scheme will be mainly focused at people living off the mains gas supply, who have to rely on inefficient electric heating.

£3 million will be set aside for housing associations and social landlords to improve their housing stock. More details of how housing associations and social landlords can apply will be announced at a later date.

Those eligible will receive a voucher up to the grant value. Householders and housing associations will have a set number of months to redeem the voucher. All installations must be complete and vouchers claimed by the expiry date on their voucher. No vouchers will be valid beyond 31st March 2012.

The scheme will be run by the Energy Saving Trust. For more information on the scheme, please visit the Energy Saving Trust website.