RHI – Domestic
Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme
What is the Renewable Heat Premium Payment ?
The Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme is a government scheme that gives money to householders to help them buy renewable heating technologies – i.e biomass boilers (wood pellet heating). As from next year, the Renewable Heat Incentive will expand to cover the domestic sector, so this is a short-term scheme making one-off payments that will also allow DECC and the Energy Saving Trust learn more about what people think of green technologies and how they perform in a variety of conditions.
The Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme will run from 1 August 2011 – 31 March 2012. However, you can register your interest beforehand on the Energy Saving Trust Website (The Energy Saving Trust will be managing the RHPP Scheme for Department of Climate Change)
Who can apply ?
For solar thermal products, any householder in England, Scotland and Wales can apply.
For biomass boilers, householders without gas central heating in England, Scotland and Wales can apply (in other words those who are not connected to the gas grid and currently rely on fuels such as oil, liquid gas, solid fuel or electricity for their heating). But all successful applicants will have to meet certain simple conditions.
What are the conditions ?
Your house must be your main home and it must have basic energy efficiency measures in place. This means you will need to confirm you have loft insulation to 250mm and cavity wall insulation, where these measures are practical. The renewable heat product you will be installing must be listed under the Micro-generation Certification Scheme (all OkoFen Boiler below 45kW are listed), and be installed by someone registered under the scheme. (Sustaburn are MCS Accredited) Visit the MCS website for details.
Once the equipment is up and running, you will be asked to fill in two customer surveys. You may be chosen at random to have extra meters attached to your installation (free of charge) as the Energy Saving Trust are keen to monitor and learn more about how heating systems are used in practice in various different circumstances and types of homes. It is a condition of the scheme that you are happy to have these meters installed.
How much is the grant worth ?
HOUSES NOT HEATED BY GAS FROM THE GRID
£950 for biomass boiler – voucher valid for 6 months
All installations must be complete and vouchers redeemed by the expiry date on your voucher or 31 March 2012 – whichever is sooner. No vouchers will be valid beyond 31 March 2012.
How can you apply ?
Anyone can apply from 1 August to the Energy Saving Trust. If you meet the conditions you will receive a voucher. You then have a set number of months to redeem the voucher by returning a signed version with a copy of the invoice and a certificate from the Micro-generation Certification Scheme. You will then have the money paid into your bank account.
What can I do before the 1st August ?
This is a cash-limited offer and once the budget limit is reached vouchers will not be issued. So you might want to prepare now so you can be quick off the mark. From now, you can contact EST via its website or by phoning them on 0800 512 012 for information. Meanwhile, make sure energy efficiency measures are in place. And check if you need planning permission or permits if it is a substantial installation.
Will I get the Renewable Heat Incentive too, when it comes in next year ?
People who have installed a biomass boiler under the Premium Payments will also be eligible for support through the RHI providing they meet the eligibility criteria of the full RHI scheme, as will anybody else who has installed eligible equipment since 15 July 2009.