Industry responds to scrappage scheme for domestic boilers
The announcement of a scrappage scheme for domestic boilers by Chancellor Alistair Darling has been widely welcomed by the industry — but with some concerns and caveats. The scheme aims to help 125 000 households replace old boilers with new, more efficient models — with grants of £400. It applies to G-rated boilers, Mr Darling said, ‘Each inefficient boiler adds over £200 to household bills and 1 t of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.’ The scheme also applies to renewable-heating units, such as heat pumps.
However, Blane Judd, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineers, is concerned that the potential savings may not be fully realised and would like to see energy-saving advice given. He says, ‘A cash-back allowance on its own is not enough. Without issuing advice on the correct sizing of the boiler, installation of proper controls and the importance of regular maintenance to help reduce energy consumption, little will be achieved by simply replacing old boilers. This is why we are seeking industry support to underline the need for these replacement boilers to be installed by registered heating or plumbing professionals.’
Almost alone in wondering about the value of the boiler-scrappage scheme to the industry is Viessmann’s technical director Christian Engelke. He says, ‘In the car industry, for example, the scrappage scheme was introduced to help drive dying new-car registrations during the recession, which it has successfully done.
‘However, the total domestic gas-boiler market has been fairly resistant to the downturn, only dropping by 5%. Therefore, is this investment from the Government fair in the whole sense of the economy, or could it be used more wisely when the boiler market is quite stable?’
He added, ‘It will help homeowners focus onto the urgency of the climate agenda, making them realise that changing their old, inefficient boiler for a more efficient system can save them a considerable amount of money in energy bills and help the environment.’
Commenting on the inclusion of renewable-heating units in the scheme, John Kellett, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s heating-systems division, said, ‘We were initially concerned that the scheme would only look at replacing old gas boilers for new gas boilers, which would have penalised green technologies such as air-source heat pumps, so we are delighted that they have been included in the scheme.’
