Many houses in Britain are heated by inefficient, and therefore costly, boilers; in addition to this, they are often also poorly insulated, so any heat which has been generated will quickly be lost. This means you will be paying a large fuel bill as well as being an unnecessarily large contributor to global warming. The answer to this is to ensure that your boiler is as efficient as it can be – boilers rated A are the most efficient and those rated D are the least inefficient. It’s also important to properly insulate your home.
In an ideal world, everybody would have an energy efficiency rated boiler of A+++ in combination with cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, but for too many homes throughout Britain this is not the case. Replacing the boiler and insulating your home is too often an impossibility for many of Britain’s residents due to the expense. That is where the Affordable Warmth Scheme comes into action.
What is the Affordable Warmth Scheme?
The scheme is a government initiative to reduce carbon emissions throughout the UK and increase the affordability of warmth for those in receipt of certain benefits and credits. The Scheme offers free replacement, including all parts and labour, of boilers, or insulation of the home through loft or cavity wall insulation. This has the intention of reducing heating bills as a result of less fuel needed to achieve the same level of warmth. Dependent upon your circumstances, you could be eligible for any or all of these upgrades.
Am I eligible?
The scheme is designed to help those residents of the UK most in need of a helping hand, and it is therefore available to those who meet a certain criteria, including the following:
- Must live in your own home or privately rented accommodation
- Be in receipt of state pension credit, child tax credit, income-based job seeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, income support and working tax credit
- Your existing boiler must be one of the following: is not a condensing boiler, has a square external flue, is behind a gas fire, or is more than ten years old.
- Your boiler has developed a fault or is inefficient
This is a general guideline of those eligible – if you are a low income household you may still qualify. If you are unsure, don’t be afraid to ask – a warm home at a price you can afford might only be a phone call away.
Who performs the upgrade?
VHL have been providing boiler repair, maintenance, replacement and insulation throughout North London for over two decades, and are approved assessors and installers of boilers. We work in partnership with energy giants EON to provide affordable warmth within the home as per the government Scheme. Contact VHL today for a free assessment to see if you qualify for the Affordable Warmth Scheme!
If you are local to North London and would like to know more about the scheme with Village Heating, don’t hesitate to get in touch; we are always happy to help.