Recently published figures showed that, as at 16th March, 118,785 vouchers had been allocated and 35,390 boilers had been installed.

People now have up to 12 weeks after receiving their voucher to have work done and claim the £400 off the cost of installing a new energy efficient A rated boiler in place of their old G rated model.

Darren Finely, commercial director for Glow-worm:  “The Boiler Scrappage Scheme has been a great success, helping homeowners to upgrade their old inefficient boilers to the latest A grade technology.  As well as saving money for the homeowner, this upgrade also reduces carbon emissions so it is a much more environmentally friendly option.

“Whilst the official scheme has come to a close, we are committed to helping homeowners upgrade to the latest models.  Our boiler calculator enables people to find the best option for their home, taking water usage and property size into consideration.”

But so far only 6% of the vouchers issued have been snapped up by people living in the North East.  Boiler manufacturer Glow-worm is urging more people to apply to be in with a chance of receiving a £400 discount voucher off the price of a new energy efficient boiler in place of an inefficient G rated model.

Darren Finely Commercial Director Glow-worm said: “Nearly 55,000 thousand vouchers have been granted but only 3412 of these have been taken up by people living in the North East.

“The scheme is a great opportunity for people to get financial help with the cost of a new boiler – but this incentive won’t be around for long.  Thousands of people across the country are applying on a daily basis and people need to act fast to claim their voucher.  Long term a new energy efficient boiler will help to reduce annual gas bills and heat your home more effectively so it really is a win win for home owners who want to improve their home’s efficiency and avoid a stress purchase further down the line.”

To celebrate the offer, Glow-worm is offering an extra year’s warranty on all Glow-worm SEDBUK A rated boilers bought through the scheme.  For more information see www.glow-wormheating.co.uk.
Glow-worm is also monitoring the nation’s tweets on the Boiler Scrappage Scheme. Visit www.yourhottopics.com to see how we’re feeling about the scheme.

We’re going to be posing a question everyday in the hope to gain a better understanding on what you think about a whole range of issues from the affordability of renewable energy products to the scope of the Boiler Scrappage Scheme.

We can’t promise to change legislation but we can promise to listen and hopefully offer some insight and opinion along the way.
1.    Day one and we’re revisiting a topical favourite.

We’ve written a lot about the boiler scrappage scheme over the last few weeks and it’s featured as one of our top hot topics on our website www.yourhottopic.com.

Now we want to hear from you; what do you think about the scheme?

Do you rate it? Will you apply?

Do you think the Government should be commended?

Or, should they be doing more?  For example, the Warm Front scheme has been criticised recently in the press owing to long delays.  Is there a better way to eradicate fuel poverty and increase energy efficiency.

So not only will you get £400 back for the cost of your new energy efficient A rated boiler, you’ll also have that extra peace of mind that if anything does go wrong, help is just a phone call away.

To find out if your boiler (Glow-worm and other brands) is a G rated model and therefore eligible to replace on the Boiler Scrappage Scheme check our comprehensive list here.

The next step is to obtain a quote from a Gas Safe registered installer – you can contact a Glow-worm approved installer by clicking here. You can also be assured that all installers listed are Gas Safe registered.   This information then needs to be used to register for your voucher online at the Energy Saving Trust website (www.est.co.uk) or via telephone (ACT ON CO2 advice line on 0800 512 012) providing the following:

i)   Full name
ii)  The address of the property you wish to claim the voucher for
iii) The make and name of the boiler being scrapped
iv) The company name, address and contact details of the installer carrying out the work
v)  The type of replacement boiler to be installed e.g. gas, heatpump, biomass
vi) Confirmation that you have received a quote or visit from the installer to carry out the work

It is important to wait until you have received the voucher before you give the go ahead to your installer on the job itself.  When installation is complete simply claim the money back by sending the voucher with the invoice to the Energy Saving Trust.

To see which boiler is best for you, why not use our Boiler Calculator? Or you can find a professionally accredited installer in your area simply by entering your postcode.

However, it’s worth mentioning that if you don’t qualify for the scheme (i.e. you don’t have a G rated boiler) then there is other help available.

We’ve drawn together an overview of the support available and recommended a number of leading organisations who can provide more information and let you know specifically if you qualify.

For example, there are a number of other schemes which operate for low income households and those over the age of 60, such as the Warm Front Scheme.

Anyone applying for the £300 grant for a broken boiler under the Warm Front Scheme can instead apply for an A-rated boiler under the boiler scrappage scheme. But you can’t apply for both schemes.

Sounding a bit complicated?  Here’s more to help:

A Warm Front

The Warm Front Scheme in England, which provides owner occupier or privately rented households with a package of insulation and/or heating measures up to a maximum value of £3,500 (or £6,000 where oil, low carbon or renewable technologies are recommended).

This includes a range of measures such as loft insulation, draught proofing and cavity wall insulation.

All successful grant applicants’ homes will be visited by a trained Technical Surveyor/Assessor, who will determine the full requirements of each individual property.  If you meet the required criteria then you may be eligible for the Warm Front Scheme – this includes those over 60, those in receipt of benefits and householders with children under 16.

If you think that you may be eligible for Warm Front you should visit their website – www.warmfront.co.uk – or call their enquiry line on 0800 316 2805 to see what help can be provided.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

If you are looking to replace your old boiler with a heat pump, biomass boiler, or solar hot water system then you may be eligible for a grant of up to £2500 towards installation.

Visit the Low Carbon Buildings Programme website – www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk – for further details.

Please note that you can apply for both the Low Carbon Buildings Programme and the Boiler Scrappage Scheme.

And finally…

To reiterate the boiler scrappage scheme is available for homeowners with a G rated boiler.  For full details on how the process works see our previous blog post here.

Glow-worm has a comprehensive range of A rated boilers all suitable for the boiler scrappage scheme, so you can view all the boilers redeemable with your boiler by clicking here.