ENERGY ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú FINANCIAL HELP AND SUPPORT
There are a number of government initiatives being spoken about. They are designed to incentivise and financially support households into embracing a renewable technology that will help create the energy they require in the home, whilst also trying to reduce the amount of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Heat production is responsible for around half (49%) of the final energy demand consumed in the UK and roughly half of all UK?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s carbon emissions. Taking action now to switch from fossil fuels to cleaner and more sustainable green sources of energy will reduce the impact that our heat requirements have on the environment and help ensure the UK has an energy supply that is safe, secure and reliable.
There are savings to be made!!
Boiler Scrappage Scheme, England
The Boiler Scrappage Scheme was launched in January 2010. It was aimed at providing ?Ǭ£400 cash back to households that changed their 'G' rated boiler to a more efficient 'A' rated one. All 125,000 vouchers were redeemed.
Boiler Scrappage Scheme, Scotland
A similar scheme has been launced in February 2011 in Scotland. There are currently an estimated 250,000 homes in Scotland that have boilers of the least efficient type (efficiency of less than 70%). Therefore the Scottish government has made ?Ǭ£1million available to help householders change their old gas boiler, for a new, more efficient one like the Dimplex Gas Boiler. The householder will recieve ?Ǭ£400 cash back.
For more information on the Scottish Boiler Scrappage scheme and how to apply visit the Energy Savings Trust website.
Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
The RHI is designed to provide long term support for householders and businesses who adopt renewable heat technologies, from household solar thermal panels to industrial wood pellet boilers. The aim is to move from 1% to 12% of all heat generated from a renewable source by 2020, represent over ?Ǭ£850m of investment and shift renewable heat from a fringe industry firmly into the mainstream.
The scheme will make payments to those installing renewable heat technologies that qualify for support, year on year, for a fixed period of time. It is designed to cover the difference in cost between conventional fossil fuel heating and renewable heating systems (which are currently more expensive), plus an additional rate of return on top.
As announced on 20 October 2010, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will go ahead in 2011.
Feed in Tariff (FIT)
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has used powers in the Energy Act 2008 to introduce a system of feed-in tariffs to incentivise small scale (less than 5MW), low carbon electricity generation. These feed-in tariffs work alongside the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which will incentivise generation of heat from renewable sources at all scales.
The FITs scheme went live on 1 April 2010. For more information visit the FIT explanation on DECC website
Green Deal
The Green Deal will be a new and radical way of making energy efficiency affordable for all, whether people own or rent their property. The upfront finance will be attached to the building?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s energy meter. People can pay back over time with the repayments less than the savings on bills, meaning many benefit from day one. It will help save carbon, energy and money off fuel bills. For more information visit Green Deal on DECC website.