2021 has seen the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) and Affordable Warmth (Help to Heat) schemes change their criteria again.
Where does my grant funding come from?
Formerly, under ECO, thousands of low-income households across the UK have benefitted from free replacement boilers and insulation from officially accredited installers such as DK Hughes.
The scheme intends to do away with outdated electric storage heaters, fuel and oil based boilers in favour of more energy and cost efficient electric storage heaters and boilers and has seen some success.
Recently we wrote about changes made to the Energy Companies Obligation that would directly affect our customers. Changes to the benefits eligibility has widened the scope so that more people are eligible for the scheme.
Does my home need additional insulation?
As any homeowner, landlord or installer will tell you, not every home is lucky enough to be a clean cut case of improving insulation, installing electric storage heaters or boilers to have their heating situation improved.
Some houses, especially those built pre-1920 have solid walls that cannot be insulated with cavity wall insulation. There are other methods of External Wall insulation but these are very expensive to install. These are only viable if the customer is prepared to pay a large contribution. This is why it is paramount to have the most energy efficient heating system, as where the walls are not insulated, the savings on your heating bills will be greater. We install Electric Storage Heaters and Boilers in properties with both solid and cavity walls.
Properties that favour electric over gas heating for whatever reason, have been overlooked in the Energy Companies Obligation scheme which has missed a large cross-section of people it was dedicated to helping.
How do I get a Grant for Electric Storage Heaters
So here’s the good news: If you fall into the category of households that relies on Electric Storage Heating Systems over gas central heating, you are now covered and included in the scheme.
Like any other household eligible for financial help with electric storage heaters, boiler replacement and insulation, (and in need of the service) you can apply here for your government grant towards replacing outdated systems with newer Electric Storage Systems.
Not sure if you need to do this in your property? If you’re thinking about it, there’s every chance that you do. Outdated Electric Storage Heating Systems are bulky, unsightly and costly to run. Moving to a newer system can reduce your bills by up 30%, include better heating controls and are more energy efficient: storing energy at night for use in the day when household energy demands are much higher.
The advice DK Hughes is giving its customers thinking about getting a replacement is to APPLY We are accredited industry professionals who have been working alongside the ECO and Help to Heat schemes since they began in 2013, and we can tell you for certain over a phone call what you will pay and what you won’t have to.
Tell us about your situation today, obligation free, and we can do the rest: making changes to your house that can improve efficiency and warmth, increase property value and could well be massively discounted by the UK government under the ECO scheme.