Rarely do Central Heating Boilers make the front pages but the governments recent Boiler Scrappage Scheme initiative changed all that, certainly for a day or two.

The Boiler Scrappage Scheme has been mooted for some time and is inspired by the successful Car Scrappage Scheme. The campaign for the Boiler Scrappage scheme was started by Mick Williams and I have followed and supported the scheme for some time now.  Chancellor Alistair Darling announced the Boiler Scrappage Scheme in his pre-Budget report in December.

The new Boiler Scrappage Scheme enables homeowners to get £400 off the installation costs when you scrap an old and inefficient G-rated boiler replacing it with a new, high efficient A-rated condensing boiler (and even renewable heating technologies) – Not sure if your boiler applies? Well if it has a pilot light it probably does. Need further clarification? Click here

There are currently 3.5m homes in England with the most inefficient type of boiler. The government is offering households (albeit only 125,000) £400 towards the cost of upgrading their old boiler.

It would be pretty obvious to most that an old boiler is not going to be that efficient, certainly not the 90% or better that a new A-rated boiler can boast. A new condensing boiler will use less fuel resulting in lower CO₂ emissions and running costs. Renewable options, including heat pumps do not burn fossil fuels, thus ticking all the green boxes.

To apply for the scheme the boiler you are replacing must be in full working order. You yourself must be under 60 and living in England. If you are over 60 you can still apply even if the boiler does not work. The scheme is not currently available in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

If you want to apply for the Boiler Scrappage Scheme you must first get quotes from different installers. Once you have chosen an installer you will need to get a quote in order to register for a voucher. Remember, installations must be carried out by Gas Safe, Oftec or Microgeneration Certification scheme registered installers.

Once you have received your voucher, you can then proceed with the installation. You will need to pay upfront for the new boiler and installation before you can then claim back the £400 by sending the voucher and invoice to the Energy Saving Trust. Payment will be issued within 25 working days of receipt of the voucher and invoice.

If you are interested in taking advantage of the scheme you’d better act fast. With 3.5m G-rated boilers but only funding for 125,000, some will be disappointed. But before you consider signing up, consider this. If your boiler is trouble free and operating effectively, is it worth replacing it? Sure, a new boiler will be more efficient but it probably wont last as long as your existing, cast iron appliance. However, should you decide to apply it is worth buying your boiler boiler directly, from a supplier like BHL rather than through your installer. BHL have a wide range of A-Rated Boilers at low online trade prices from leading manufacturers including Baxi, Worcester Bosch, Vaillant and Glow-Worm.

First there was the car scrappage scheme, now a similar scheme for central heating boilers has been mooted. The Boiler Scrappage Scheme would work in a similar way to the car scrappage scheme

The concept of a Boiler Scrappage Scheme was concieved within the industry and clearly homeowners replacing their old boiler with a new appliance will benefit plumbers, boilers manufacturers and suppliers.

But more than that, a householder replacing an old inefficient boiler with a new condensing boiler could save more than £200 a year in gas bills. And replacing some of the millions of old boilers with efficiencies less than 70% would save thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide emmisions every year.

A Boiler Scrappage Scheme will have all the benefits that the car scrappage scheme does, but with added clout. For example, there is nothing to prevent you replacing your old car with a new gas-guzzler. The Boiler Scrappage Scheme on the other hand would replace old inefficient boilers with new, highly efficient condensing boilers.

The scheme has attracted the support of leading figures with the industry as well as Sian Berry the 2008 Green Mayor of London candidate.

The proposed Boiler Scrappage Scheme really does make sense. You can register your support by signing the petition.

Read more about the scheme here

Buy Condensing Boilers Here