RENEWABLE HEAT PREMIUM PAYMENTS
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
The Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme is a government scheme that gives money to householders to help them buy renewable heating technologies – solar thermal panels, heat pumps and biomass boilers.
As from next year, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will expand to cover the domestic sector and the Green Deal will come into force, so this is a short-term scheme making one-off payments that will also allow the Energy Saving Trust to learn more about what people think of these technologies and how they perform in a variety of conditions.
WHO CAN APPLY?
For solar thermal products, any householder in England, Scotland and Wales can apply.
For ground to water, air to water or water to water heat pumps, and for biomass boilers, householders without gas central heating in England, Scotland and Wales can apply (in other words those who are not connected to the gas grid and currently rely on fuels such as oil, liquid gas, solid fuel or electricity for their heating). All successful applicants will have to meet certain simple conditions.
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS?
The consumer's house must be their main home and it must have basic energy efficiency measures in place. This means you will need to confirm they have loft insulation to 250mm and cavity wall insulation, where these measures are practical.
The renewable heat product you will be installing must be listed under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, and be installed by someone registered under the scheme, or equivalent. Visit the MCS website.
Once the equipment is up and running, the consumer will be asked to fill in two customer surveys and may be chosen at random to have extra meters attached to the installation (free of charge) as EST is keen to monitor and learn about how heating systems are used in practice in various different circumstances and types of home.
It is a condition of the scheme that the end user is happy to have these meters installed.
HOW MUCH?
£300 – solar thermal – voucher valid for 3 months
£950 – biomass boiler – voucher valid for 6 months
£850 – air source heat pump – voucher valid for 5 months
£1250 – ground source or water source heat pump – voucher valid for 6 months
All installations must be complete and vouchers redeemed by the expiry date on your voucher or 31 March 2012 – whichever is sooner. No vouchers will be valid beyond 31 March 2012.
HOW DO THEY APPLY?
Anyone can apply to the Energy Saving Trust. If they meet the conditions, they receive a voucher, which must be redeemed within a certain timeframe by returning a signed version with a copy of the invoice and a MCS certificate.
To get full details visit the Energy Saving Trust website or phone them on 0800 512 012. Meanwhile, make sure energy efficiency measures are in place. Carry out research to see which renewable heat technologies might work for you. Shop around for quotes from different installers. And check if you need planning permission or permits if it is a substantial installation.
And the RHI...
If your customer has installed the kit under the Premium Payments, they will also be eligible for support through the RHI providing they meet the eligibility criteria of the full RHI scheme, as will anybody else who has installed eligible equipment since 15 July 2009.
