Thousands of households in England and Wales that use heating oil will be eligible to receive a £9,000 grant to switch to a heat pump, as part of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The grant has been increased by 20% from £7,500 to £9,000, according to reports from MirrorOnline.
Leaflets to Be Sent to 200,000 Eligible Homes
Leaflets will arrive on the doormats of 200,000 eligible homes this week, providing details on how to claim the extra funding. The scheme is designed to help residents lower their energy bills by moving away from fossil fuel heating systems.
How Heat Pumps Work
Heat pumps extract energy from the air, the ground, or water and transfer heat where it is required. They are less costly to run because they move heat rather than creating it by burning fuel. However, they are expensive to install. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that an air source heat pump costs around £11,000 to install, while ground source heat pumps are typically priced between £29,000 and £57,000.
Government Support for Rural Households
The government says the extra funding will assist rural households in making the move from heating oil to a heat pump. Heating oil prices soared earlier this year after the Middle East conflict significantly disrupted oil supplies. To be eligible, you must own the property and be replacing a fossil fuel heating system. Eligible applicants need to contact a suitable MCS-certified installer to get quotes, and the installer will apply for the grant on their behalf.
Official Statements
Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey said: "This government is determined to bring down energy bills, but I know the war in the Middle East has hit households on heating oil especially hard. We have already taken action to support these households through confirming over £50 million in support for vulnerable customers on heating oil. Now, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will help thousands of families across England and Wales switch to clean heat to protect them from volatile fossil fuels."
Charlotte Lee, CEO of the Heat Pump Association UK, said: "The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues to play a vital role in supporting households to adopt heat pumps, and this £1,500 uplift will make the transition significantly more affordable for the thousands of oil-heated homes. Many of these households have faced considerable price uncertainty in recent months, without the protection of the energy price cap, and this £9,000 grant will help shield families from volatile fossil fuel costs, by using home grown electricity, in the years ahead."
Matt Copeland, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at National Energy Action, said: "This is a positive step for households relying on heating oil, who have recently faced the highest and most volatile energy costs. Many families will be expecting to ration their heating in the coming winter, living in homes they cannot afford to keep warm, not through choice but constraint."
