Am I eligible for boiler grants?
June 18th, 2013
Replacing your boiler with an energy efficient upgrade is a great way to slash fuel bills and cut your expenses every year. But switching your boiler isn’t the cheapest of home improvements and if you don’t have the funds available you won’t be in a position to make the purchase.
So what is the other option? Taking advantage of a boiler grant to help subsidise the installation costs.
Grants available for a new boiler fall under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). This is a Government-run scheme and funded by energy companies including the big six.
Essentially, the scheme is targeted at those on a low income and in a region of fuel poverty, to improve efficiencies and cut heating bills. Eligible households include those with a central heating system over 10-years-old, as boilers typically lose efficiency levels after this time. If you fall into this category then you can apply to have a new A-rated boiler fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
To take advantage of the ECO boiler grants, you must also be in receipt of one of the following:
- Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (with an income of £15,860 or less)
- Working Tax Credit (with an income of £15,860 or less)
- Income Support
- Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
- Income-Related Employment Support Allowance
However, if you receive income support in some way, you’ll also need to meet one of these criteria:
- Have a child under 16
- Have a child under 20 in full-time education (not university)
- Receive Child Tax Credit including a disability element
- Get a Disabled Child Premium
- Get a Disability Premium
- Have a Pensioner Premium
If you apply for a free boiler under one of the schemes available, we’ll give you a quick call to confirm eligibility. We can then pass your details onto boiler contractors in your area so you can get the new installation in as quickly as possible.
If you don’t qualify then there’s still the opportunity to receive funding assistance through the Green Deal scheme.
The Green Deal provides homeowners with a loan to cover the installation costs, which is paid back through the money saved on energy bills.
If you own the property, or receive permission from the landlord to have the new boiler installed, then you could qualify for either of the above schemes.
