The Energy Saving Trust are battling to make the UK more aware of fuel poverty and their latest report, ‘In From The Cold’, highlights that energy efficiency improvements have been undone.

Now, even if you have installed insulation to retain heat in your property, such as double glazing and loft lagging, you could still be suffering from fuel poverty. New gas boilers burn heat more efficiently, so you don’t need to turn up the boiler to keep your home warm.

The Energy Saving Trust report mentions:

• 62% are worried about energy bill costs
• Over a quarter finding it difficult to heat home
• One fifth suffering stress due to their problems

On top of this, 11% of callers to the Energy Saving Trust say they’re spending more than a fifth of wages on duel fuel bills. Considering that three years ago, only 3% of the UK were spending that amount, there has been an evident rise in problems.

Gas boilers distribute heat more evenly around the home, instantly reducing fuel bills. And installing a new boiler can help you cut spending by £300 a year. So you’ll pay off the installation in as little as five years.

And according to a report issued last month, 8.5 million Britons won’t be able to afford their energy by 2016. On top of this, from 2013 there will be no Government grant support for poor households.

This means there’s no point in waiting for your problems to clear up because they won’t fade away. New gas boilers are the only chance of cutting your heating and an installation will last for 15 years or more.

Phillip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: “There is a pressing need to tackle cold, unhealthy homes. Looking at information from the thousands of calls we receive, it’s clear that this is both a deeply personal concern for many people and a wider social issue. Over a quarter of people can’t heat their home properly, and for a fifth it’s a cause of serious stress.

“Our remit historically has been to reduce carbon emissions from people’s homes. We’re now a social enterprise – and fuel poverty is a great social issue of our age. This is something that needs to be tackled in partnership and viewed from both a national and local perspective – and we want to make sure our experiences helping people in fuel poverty are used to best effect.”

The EST report also highlights the need for energy suppliers and the Government’s Green Deal to work together and help fuel poverty households. They want vulnerable customers to be given advice and support to work towards cheaper energy bills for the foreseeable future.

If it’s with gas boilers that you want to reduce your energy bills, there’s never been a better time to invest. During the spring and summer prices will drop, so to make the most from your finances it’s the perfect time to buy.

You’ll see a massive reduction in your heating bills and efficient gas boilers will also cut your home’s carbon emissions, helping the environment and Government targets.

Boiler scrappage schemes are a great way to encourage homeowners to trade in their old boiler for a new energy efficient replacement. But whilst Scottish residents are able to benefit from such a scheme, energy customers in England and Wales are being overlooked.

Back in November, the Heating and Hot water Industry Council (HHIC) instigated a push within the industry, with calls for the government to relaunch the scheme. But any such efforts have so far fallen on deaf ears.

The Boiler Scrappage Scheme was a government funded scheme designed to support homeowners who wanted to replace their old and inefficient boilers. Introduced more than two years ago, the scheme saw vouchers given to householders, offering £400 towards the cost of a new boiler.

Spectacularly successful, it became a victim of its own success, to use a standard cliché, primarily because the government had only set aside a limited budget towards raising awareness of the need for people to replace their old boilers and think more about energy efficiency in their homes. Some 133,976 vouchers were allocated, representing a total of 118,249 boiler replacements and a considerable saving on carbon emissions was made. Then the money ran out, which brought an end to the scheme.

Domestic central heating boilers use a large amount of household energy. There are numerous estimates of just how much, but it is pretty accurate to say that over half of the energy we use in our homes is for heating and hot water. This meant that any government seriously committed to reducing the nation’s carbon emissions was going to have to deal with this problem, primarily by attempting to encourage householders to replace their old boilers. There were a few conditions attached for eligibility for the scheme. To begin with you had to have the least efficient boiler installed. Secondly, if you were under 60 the boiler had to be working, but if you were over 60 the boiler could either be working or defunct.

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Scotland’s Boiler Scrappage Scheme offers £400 vouchers off the cost of a new energy efficient boiler. The scheme has proved a huge success across the country and has led to the Government consistently funding the project. But this scheme will stay open until all remaining vouchers have been taken up, so there’s never been a better time to replace an old or faulty boiler. Generally speaking, a boiler over 10-years-old will require a lot more servicing and repairs.

The £400 vouchers offer homeowners a way out of paying heavy repair bills and ease the financial burden placed on a new installation.

And not only will the scheme aid in reducing repair costs, but the improved energy efficiency will save hundreds of pounds on energy bills annually and reduce carbon emissions. This turns out to be a huge saving and in the current climate can assist many homeowners in escaping fuel poverty.
The Scottish Government’s energy targets are one of the most ambitious in the world, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. Around 250,000 Scottish properties are fitted with the least efficient type of boiler, which is exactly what the scrappage scheme is targeting.

The Scottish Boiler Scrappage Scheme was first launched in 2010 and last year the Government put in an extra £1 million. All Energy Saving Trust recommended boilers will receive the £400 voucher and the scheme closes when the last has been taken. To ensure you don’t miss out it’s important to start the process now.

To apply for the scheme, homeowners must receive a quote for their new boiler and then apply for the voucher online or by telephone.

The benefits of replacement boilers

Upgrading your existing heating system with an energy efficient boiler would:

• Cut your monthly and annual energy bills
• Lower running costs
• Reduce your home’s carbon dioxide emissions

Old, inefficient heating systems can be working at 70% or less. Upgrading to an energy efficient boiler can save a three-bedroom semi-detached house between £185 and £225 a year on energy bills alone.

Applying for the Boiler Scrappage Scheme

To apply for the scrappage scheme you should follow the guide below:

• Receive one or more quotes for the boiler replacement
• Apply for the £400 voucher either online or by telephone on 0800 512 012
• Once you’ve been accepted onto the scheme, independently arrange the installation of the new boiler
• Pay for the boiler upfront
• Send the completed voucher back to the Energy Saving Trust within 18 weeks and receive £400 cash back.

Receiving quotes

Step one – To take advantage of the Boiler Scrappage Scheme you need to receive a written or verbal quote for the new boiler.

Step two - We recommend seeking more than one boiler quote as there are a number of companies and you want to get the best value for many.

Step three - From the date of your quote, you have 18 weeks to claim the voucher. As long as the boiler and installer meet the eligibility criteria, your voucher will be processed.

If you’re interested in the scheme, you can use the form at the bottom of this page to receive free boiler quotes.

Boiler industry bodies

The installer you choose for the job must be registered with both Gas Safety and a recognised industry body, such as CLE or SNIPEF.

However, using a SNIPEF registered installer brings a range of benefits in itself. All work undertaken by a SNIPEF member is covered by a free Guarantee of Work Scheme. This means that if the boiler company goes out of business and your boiler faults, SNIPEF will independently pay for an inspection and correct the problem. This is all of no further cost to you.