Grants Under the Boiler Scrappage Scheme

125,000 households in England were able to benefit from the Boiler Scrappage Scheme, which closed in 2010. The purpose of the scheme was to help with the cost of replacing boilers that have a G rating or worse. Anyone looking for help with a new boiler today should check the schemes currently running, such as the Energy Company Obligation and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, on GOV.UK.

A G-rated gas boiler is likely to be at least 15 years old. It will also have a permanent pilot light. A G-rated oil-fired boiler will probably be older than 25 years.

The government runs a boiler efficiency database where it’s possible to check on a boiler’s rating. Simply look for the boiler’s make and model.

Benefits

The Boiler Scrappage Scheme replaced a G-rated boiler with an A-rated one. A-rated boilers have efficiency rates of 90% or higher. They use less fuel than G-rated boilers and therefore cost less to run. They also emit less CO2.

The financial benefit to householders is cheaper fuel bills. The government estimated an average saving per year of £235. The benefit to the environment, once all 125,000 households took advantage of the scheme, was put at an annual nationwide drop in CO2 emissions of about 140,000 tonnes.

Eligibility

The Boiler Scrappage Scheme applied to England. The devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales took separate decisions on whether to have a similar scheme.

Householders and landlords who rent or own private homes were eligible to apply. Householders and private tenants aged up to 59 had to have a G-rated boiler that worked and was the main boiler for the home. Householders and private tenants aged 60 and over didn’t need to have a boiler that worked. The boiler, however, still had to be the main one for the home.

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Quote

The scheme has now closed. But while it ran, before registering, it was important to get a quote for a new boiler.

The best advice was to shop around for a reasonable price. The new boiler had to have an A rating. It can be a boiler for gas, LPG or oil. It can also have a heat pump, a Micro CHP unit, a biomass unit or a Passive Flue Heat Recovery system. A-rated boilers with Solar Thermal devices were also eligible.

The installer of a gas boiler must have Gas Safe accreditation. Installers of other types of boiler must be members of suitable schemes. These include HETAS, OFTEC and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Registration

After getting a suitable quote for a new boiler, the next step was to ring a helpline, which is no longer in service. An applicant had to give his or her name; address; the type of new boiler; the details of the installer; and the make and model of the old boiler.

An alternative was to register online with the Energy Saving Trust.

The Voucher

Once an applicant had registered for the Boiler Scrappage Scheme, a £400 voucher arrived by post around ten days later. The voucher was valid for 12 weeks. An applicant was not to arrange for the installation of the new boiler before the voucher arrived.

It was necessary to pay for the new boiler and its installation in full. An applicant then had to send the voucher and the invoice to the Energy Saving Trust. The Trust would forward £400 within 25 working days.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Home Repair and Damp Grant Checker lets you check which grants, schemes and legal duties might cover damp, heating, insulation or repairs in your home. Try it now →