Boiler scrappage scheme launches on 18 January 2010

A government scheme that gives households in England £400 off the cost of a new boiler or heat pump has been launched.

The boiler scrappage scheme was announced in the pre-Budget report last month.
According to the government it will help households cut their energy bills, reduce CO2 emissions and support thousands of jobs. Up to 125,000 households in England could benefit from the scheme, which is costing the government £50m.


People who own their homes or landlords who rent homes are eligible, but social landlords, housing associations and boiler installers are not. There are about 3.5 million homes in England with the least efficient types of boilers.

How do I do it?
To qualify households need to have a working G-rated boiler. It is likely to be G-rated if it is more than 15 years old and gas fired.
A permanent pilot light is also a good indicator as to whether a gas
boiler is G-rated. If the boiler is oil-fired, then this is likely to be eligible if it is more than 25 years old.
Householders aged under 60 can only apply if the boiler is the main boiler used to heat the home and is in working order. For those aged over 60, the device does not have to work.

Then, you need to provide the Energy Saving Trust (EST) with details of your old boiler and the installer you have chosen to fit your new heating appliance. The EST will also want confirmation the installer has actually visited your home and provided you with a proper quote for the work. Installers need to be Gasesafe (in the case of a straight boiler replacement) or MCS accredited if you replace your old boiler with a heat pump.

Assuming all that is in order, a voucher worth £400 will be issued. This will be refunded once the work has been done and the EST has received both the invoice for the work and the voucher. It is valid for 12 weeks.

The householder pays the bill in full to the installer and then claims the £400 back from the EST.
The £400 rebate should take no more than 25 working days of the paperwork reaching the Trust.

For further information on the scheme contact Pure Solar Ltd.