The boiler scrappage scheme – what is it, who is eligible and how will it work?

UK home heating specialist Baxi has compiled a list of questions and answers to help you

What is the boiler scrappage scheme?
The purpose of the boiler scrappage scheme, kick-started by the Prime Minister this week, is to provide a grant of £400 to 125,000 households in England with the least efficient, G rated boilers toward the cost of replacing their boiler with a new, A rated model. The Energy Saving Trust is responsible for the administration of the scheme.

New boilers are at least 90 per cent efficient, and replacing a G rated boiler could reduce your fuel bills by up to £235 a year, as well as considerably lowering your home’s carbon footprint. In fact, replacing 125,000 will save 140,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – equivalent to taking 45,000 cars off the road.

Who can apply for the grant?
Householders and landlords who privately own and rent dwellings are eligible to apply, on a first come, first served basis. The scheme only applies to homes in England. The governments and assemblies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be responsible for allocating funds for similar schemes in their countries.

Why should I apply for the grant?
According to the Heating and Hot Water Industry Council (HHIC) there are approximately 4.5 million SEDBUK Band G rated boilers still in use in the UK, each working at less than 70 per cent efficiency. This figure includes around 1.8 million back boilers. Until now, there has not been an A rated alternative for a back boiler on the market. Now your old back boiler can be replaced with a new Baxi Bermuda BBU HE, which is over 90 per cent efficient.

Baxi Duo-tec Combi 28 HE

Installing a Band A high efficiency Baxi boiler could save you around £235 a year in energy bills, as well as reducing your carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by a staggering 1.2 tonnes.

How can I tell if my boiler is G rated?
It’s worth checking to see if you are eligible if you have a back boiler (ie your boiler is situated in the fireplace), your boiler has a permanent pilot ignition or if it was installed before 2005 when legislation was changed to ensure all new boilers were high efficiency, condensing boilers.

The make and model of your boiler may be on its casing. Or you may have the original user instructions tucked away somewhere. But don’t worry if you haven’t because every boiler has a boiler identifier, which, in conjunction with the manufacturer’s name, is unique for the model. It may be a GC (formerly Gas Council) number for a gas boiler or OFTEC registration number for an oil boiler, or some other unique reference chosen by the manufacturer and marked on the boiler.

If you can see your boiler identifier number, you can call the manufacturer and they should be able to identify the model of boiler from the number and tell you if it is eligible for the boiler scrappage scheme grant. If the number isn’t visible, ask your GasSafe registered installer to look for it for you when he comes to give you a quote. Do not attempt to take the cover off the boiler yourself – it could be very dangerous. Leave it to the experts!

If you have a Baxi boiler, there’s an easy reference guide on the Baxi website, www.baxi.co.uk/boiler-scrappage-scheme, along with an at-a-glance recommendation for a replacement boiler.

The Energy Saving Trust website (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk) also has information to help you identify if your boiler is eligible. I think I have a G rated boiler.

Baxi Bermuda BBU HE with Valor Dimensions Lyrica fire

What do I do next?

1 First of all, you need to get a quote from a Gas Safe registered installer, to replace your G rated boiler with a new A rated boiler. In order to make sure you get the best possible deal, it’s worth contacting at least two installers and comparing their quotes. Ask for recommendations from your friends and family, or use ‘Find an Installer’ on the Baxi website.

Some low and zero carbon technologies are also eligible for the grant, so you may consider installing a passive flue heat recovery device such as Multifit GasSaver, Baxi Ecogen Micro CHP units or biomass boilers and heat pumps. Solar Thermal is also eligible if combined with an eligible boiler replacement. Low and zero carbon technologies and the installers who fit them need to be Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) registered to be eligible.

2 Then you need to register your interest either by emailing Energy Saving Trust at boilerscrappage@est.org.uk or by calling their ACT ON CO2 advice line on 0800 512 012.

You’ll need to give them the following information:

• Your full name
• The address of the property you want to claim the voucher for
• The make and name of the boiler being scrapped
• The company name, address and contact details of the installer carrying out the work
• The type of replacement boiler being installed (eg natural gas, LPG, biomass)
• Confirmation that you have a received a quote or visit from the installer to carry out the work

3 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 the date of issue. If the voucher is not redeemed within this time, it will be cancelled and reallocated. Only one voucher per household will be issued, but if the voucher expires, it will be possible to apply for another if funds are available.

Find an installer

4 Once you’ve received the voucher, you can go ahead with the installation. You’ll have to pay the installer when the work is completed, and then claim back the £400 by sending the invoice and voucher to the Energy Saving Trust. You’ll get your £400 rebate within 25 working days.

Please note that installations made before you get your voucher will invalidate your claim and you will no longer be eligible to receive the £400 rebate. Check out Baxi’s range of Band A boilers and low carbon technologies

Baxi has a range of SEDBUK Band A rated boilers suitable for every application. The Baxi Duo-tec Combi HE was voted CORGI Boiler of the Year 2008 by installers and was awarded Best Buy by Which? in 2007, when it achieved 5-star ratings for efficiency, low NOx emissions (Nitrogen Oxide), features and installing.

Baxi has also introduced the brand new Baxi Bermuda BBU HE, the only A-rated appliance on the market suitable for use as a direct replacement. Replacing an old back boiler with a new high efficiency Baxi Bermuda BBU means that the boiler doesn’t need to be re-sited, pipe work doesn’t need to be re-routed and redecoration can be kept to a minimum. The new unit is simply installed in the same place as the old one, causing minimum disruption. There’s a handy interactive product selector on www.baxibermuda.com that will help you choose from a selection of fires and, if you fancy a change, hearths and fire surrounds.

In addition, there’s plenty of information on the Baxi website about solar, biomass, heat pumps and micro-CHP.