Solar Grants & Boiler Scrappage Scheme
  MCS Low Carbon Building Program, Boiler Scrappage Scheme grants and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) provided by Advanced Green Systems UK.
Low Carbon Building Programme
The LCBP has generous national grants that are available to homeowners and businesses interested in renewable energy technologies, solar grants being one of the most popular. The grant process is very simple, application is on-line and you should receive an instant grant offer via email.
Please Note When Applying For A Grant
In all cases the customer must apply for the grant and the grant must be approved by the LCBP in writing via email or letter BEFORE the installation takes place, you will fail to be awarded the grant if the installation is started before you have the grant offer letter from the LCBP. You will also fail to be awarded the grant if you get a third party (I.E. us!) to complete the grant application form on your behalf.
Qualifying for Grant Funding
There are a number of energy efficiency measures that you must undertake before you are eligible to apply for a grant under the LCBP. These measures will ensure that you are minimising your energy requirements before installing renewable energy technologies and are as follows:
- You must have the minimum of 270 mm of loft insulation required to meet current building regulations where practicable.
- You must have installed cavity wall insulation (if you have cavity walls).
- You must be using low energy light bulbs in all the main light fittings in all the main rooms (i.e. the kitchen, hallway and all main living rooms) in the property.
- You must have installed basic controls to you central heating system including a room thermostat and a programmer or timer.
No Monthly Cap
Household grants will be allocated on a first come first served basis as long as funds last, if you apply for the grant you will be awarded the grant you apply for. There will be no further funds and no further measures to extend the scheme life when funds have been depleted.
LCBP Scheme Finishes 2011
The scheme will stop awarding grants in June 2010 and the scheme will close in March 2011.
LCBP Stream 1 Householder
Grant levels are as follows and will be regularly reviewed by the DTI as the market for each technology develops:
Solar Photovoltaic or PV
Grants for Solar Photovoltaic Systems have now finished.
Wind Turbine
Maximum £1,000 per kW installed, up to a maximum of £5,000 subject to an overall 30% limit of the installed cost (exclusive of VAT)
Small Hydro
Maximum £1,000 per kW installed, up to a maximum of £5,000 subject to an overall 30% limit of the installed cost (exclusive of VAT)
Solar Thermal
Maximum £400 regardless of size subject to an overall 30% limit (exclusive of VAT)
Ground Source Heat Pump
Maximum £1,200 regardless of size subject to an overall 30% limit (exclusive of VAT). Through Green Systems you will be awarded £1,500 grants for Heat Pump installations.
Air Source Heat Pump
Maximum of £900 or 30% of the relevant eligible costs, whichever is lower (exclusive of VAT)
Biomass Room Heater/Stove automated wood pellet feed
Maximum £600 regardless of size subject to an overall 20% limit (exclusive of VAT)
Wood fuelled boiler/Biomass boiler - Pellet, Log or Wood Chip
Maximum £1,500 regardless of size subject to an overall 30% limit (exclusive of VAT)
£2,500 maximum limit on grants per household
There will be a £2,500 grant cap per household. Householders can still apply for more than one technology but the funding would be limited up to a maximum of £2,500 per household depending on technologies involved.
LCBP Stream 1 Communities
Grants will be up to a maximum of £30,000 or 50% of the capital and installation cost of the micro-generation technologies installed. These grants will be awarded on a rolling first-come-first-served basis.
LCBP Phase 2 - Extended (LCBP2E)
Grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies are available to public sector buildings (including schools, hospitals, housing associations and local authorities) and charitable bodies.
Following the Budget announcement on 22 April an additional £45 million has been allocated to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP).
LCBP Phase Two has received an additional £35 million of funding. This is extremely good news and means that we can continue to support schools, communities and other organisations to install microgeneration technology.
This sees the current programme deadline for grants to be made and installations to be completed extend from 1 July 2009 until April 2011, up to the introduction of Feed-in Tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive.
The extended programme will continue to provide grant funding to charitable organisations, community groups and the public sector.
The upper limit for heat technologies has been raised to 300kW.
Organisations may apply for up to 50% of the cost of installing approved technologies up to a maximum of £200,000 (though maximum grant levels may depend on the nature of the organisation).
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Enhanced Capital Allowances
Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) enable a business to claim 100% first-year capital allowances on their spending on qualifying plant and machinery. There are three schemes for ECAs:
- Energy-saving plant and machinery
- Low carbon dioxide emission cars and natural gas and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure
- Water conservation plant and machinery
Businesses can write off the whole of the capital cost of their investment in these technologies against their taxable profits of the period during which they make the investment.
This can deliver a helpful cash flow boost and a shortened payback period.
- Biomass Boilers
- Heat Pumps
- Pipework Insulation
- Solar Thermal Systems
- Warm Air and Radiant Heaters
Our products are included in the ECAs qualifying equipment list.
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Boiler Scrappage Scheme
Get £400 off a new A-rated boiler or renewable heat technology, when you scrap your old, inefficient G-rated boiler
What is the purpose of the Boiler Scrappage Scheme?
The UK has one of the most ambitious CO2 emission reduction targets in the world. The installation of an efficient heating system is an effective way of reducing household energy bills and CO2 emissions, as domestic heating accounts for 14 per cent of the UK's CO2 emissions.
There are currently around three and a half million homes in England with the very least efficient type of boiler (G-rated or worse).
To address this the Government is offering up to 125,000 households £400 towards the cost of upgrading their boiler (if G-rated or equivalent or worse) to a high efficiency A-rated one or a renewable heating technology. This will help to save in the region of 140,000t CO2 per year - equivalent to taking 45,000 cars off the road.
What are the benefits in upgrading your boiler?
New boilers have rated efficiencies of 90 per cent or more meaning that they use less fuel, resulting in lower CO2 emissions and running costs. Renewable heat technologies do not use fossil fuels, reducing CO2 emissions still further. For example, this means by upgrading your G-rated boiler to an A-rated one, your household heating bill should drop by about a quarter - a saving, on average, of around £235 a year.
Who is eligible for the scheme?
The scheme is open to 125,000 householders in England living in an owned or privately rented home. Please note:
- If you are a householder (including tenants) under 60 you can only apply for the scheme if the boiler you are scrapping is in working order and is the main boiler used to heat the home.
- If you are a householder (including tenants) and 60 or over you can apply for the scheme regardless of whether the boiler you are scrapping is in working order. However, it still needs to be the main boiler used to heat the home.
Only householders and landlords who privately own and rent dwellings are eligible to apply for a voucher. Boiler installers and manufacturers, local authority registered social landlords, and housing associations are not eligible to apply.
How can you tell if your boiler is G-rated?
A good quick test for gas boilers is to see if it has a permanent pilot light -if it has then it is very likely to be a G-rated boiler. If it is gas fired and over fifteen years old it is likely to be eligible. If it is oil fired and over twenty five years old, it is likely to be eligible.
For a better idea, why not see if your boiler make and model is listed as G-rated or worse by going to the:
- Government Boiler Efficiency Database
- SEDBUK Boiler Efficiency Database
Alternatively, you can ask Green Systems UK to assist you in determining whether your boiler is eligible.
Want to register for the Boiler Scrappage Scheme?
If you believe that your home has a G-rated or worse boiler and wish to register for the scheme to receive a £400 cashback voucher towards the cost of upgrading to an A-rated boiler then firstly arrange for a survey so we can provide you with a quote.
Once you have the quote then please ensure you have the following information to hand before completing the online web form or call Act on the CO2 advice line on 0800 512 012:
- Your full name.
- The address of the property you wish to claim the voucher for.
- The make and name of the boiler being scrapped.
- The address and contact details of Green Systems UK Gas Safe registered installers.
- The type of replacement boiler to be installed e.g. gas, biomass.
When will the vouchers be issued?
The £400 vouchers will be issued from 18 January 2010. You will receive the voucher approximately ten days after application. Vouchers are valid for 12 weeks from date of issue. If the voucher is not redeemed within this time, it will be cancelled and reallocated. There will be only one voucher per household, but if the voucher expires, it will be possible to apply for another if funds are available. Installations made before receipt of your voucher will invalidate your claim and you will no longer be eligible to receive the £400 rebate.
Which boilers and boiler manufacturers can the vouchers be redeemed against?
Vouchers can be redeemed against a boiler from manufacturer which is for A-rated or equivalent gas, oil or LPG boilers, boilers with a Passive Flue Heat Recovery Device, Micro CHP units or Microgeneration Certification Scheme-registered biomass boilers and heat pumps. Solar Thermal is also eligible if combined with an eligible boiler replacement. Electric boilers are not eligible.
Who can carry out the installation of your new boiler?
Installation of a gas boiler must be carried out by an installer registered with a competent person's scheme, such as GasSafe. Installation of a microgeneration technology must be carried out by an installer qualified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. Green Systems UK is registered with both bodies.
How will payment of the £400 be made?
Once you have received your voucher, you can then proceed with the installation. You will need to pay for the new boiler and installation before you can then claim back the £400 by sending the voucher and invoice to us. If you proceed with your installation before you receive your voucher, this will invalidate your claim and you will no longer be eligible for the £400 rebate.
Payment will be issued within 25 working days of receipt of the voucher and invoice.
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The Renewable Heat Incentive - RHI
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will provide financial support for those who install renewable heating, which qualifies for support under the scheme.
The Government proposes the following key aspects of the RHI:
The scheme should support a range of technologies, including air and ground-source heat pumps (and other geothermal energy), solar thermal, biomass boilers, renewable combined heat and power, use of biogas and bioliquids and the injection of biomethane into the natural gas grid.
Support heating at all scales, including households, businesses, offices, public sector buildings and industrial processes in large factories.
Tariff levels have been calculated to bridge the financial gap between the cost of conventional and renewable heat systems at all scales, with additional compensation for certain technologies for an element of the non-financial cost and a rate of return of 12% on the additional cost of renewables, with 6% for solar thermal.
The Energy Act 2008 provides the statutory powers for a renewable heat incentive scheme to be introduced across England, Wales and Scotland. The detailed legal framework will be set out in secondary legislation.
The RHI should be in place for April 2011. |
