You can apply for a First Time Central Heating Grant in the UK through an online application form. At the same time, there are some schemes which provide physical application forms.
Here is a detailed discussion about the First Time Central Heating Grants, eligibility criteria, and the process for the First Time Central Heating Grants.
What is the First Time Central Heating System Grant?
The grants which provide central heating systems to low-income households for the first time are called the First Time Central Heating System Grants.
In the UK, low-income households can get free-of-cost central heating systems through different government schemes. However, they can get the central heating systems from these grants only when they didn’t have received central heating systems before.
If they have received the central heating systems from any of the UK government grants, they will not be eligible for the new ones.
They can get new central heating systems from these grants only when their existing heating system is at least 15 years old.
Here are some most popular schemes which provide the free of cost central heating systems:
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) is a UK government scheme. In this scheme, several energy companies provide funding for energy efficiency improvements to low-income households.
They provide several energy efficiency improvements including central heating systems to low-income households. Some of the most common benefits of the ECO4 scheme are the following:
- First-Time Central Heating Systems of Different Types
- Different Boiler upgrades, such as the Electric, gas, and biomass boilers.
- Insulation upgrades, such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, and solid wall insulation.
- Heat Pumps, such as the Air Source Heat Pumps and Ground Source Heat Pumps.
Home Upgrade Grant (HUG)
The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) is another government website that provides the First Time Central Heating Systems.
This is an extensive grant that provides several energy efficiency benefits that improve the efficiency of a complete home.
The objective behind this scheme is to make the complete home energy efficient. In this way, they will reduce fuel consumption which results in lower energy bills.
Some of the most important benefits of the HUG are the following:
- First Time Central Heating Systems
- Different types of efficient boilers, such as electric boilers, gas boilers, biomass boilers, etc. All the boilers have condensing technology integrated into them.
- Insulation improvements, such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, and solid wall insulation.
- Low-carbon heating systems, such as the Air Source Heat Pumps, Ground Source Heat pumps, and solar thermal systems.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
The Boiler Upgrade Schemes is another energy efficiency scheme. It is a UK government scheme that provides funding for the installation of heating systems.
This scheme aims to reduce the carbon emissions from the country. Some of the most important energy efficiency benefits are the following:
- The BUS provides £7,500 for the Air Source Heat Pump.
- They also provide £7,500 for the Ground Source Heat Pump.
- This scheme also provides £5000 for the Biomass boilers.
What are the Eligibility Criteria for the First Time Central Heating Grant?
This First Time Central Heating grant is only for those who are eligible for these grants. Some of the most important eligibility factors for central heating systems are the following:
- The First Time Central Heating Systems are only for those who haven’t got free central heating systems from government grants.
- They want to help low-income households. That’s why they will provide these free heating systems only to those whose annual income is lower than £31,000.
- These schemes also check whether the households or any family member from the household gets government benefits, such as the following:
- Universal Credit
- Low-income Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Disability benefit
- Jobseeker Allowance
- Pension Credit
- They provide First Time Central Heating Systems only to those homes whose energy efficiency is D, E, F, or G.
- At the same time, the local authorities can also recommend properties which are affected by the vulnerabilities, such as disabilities and diseases.
How to Apply for the First Time Central Heating Grant in the UK?
The application process for the First Time Central Heating Grants in the UK is quite simple and easy. However, most people commit blunders as they don’t know the right process, such as the following:
- First of all, the households should select any of the government schemes that provide First Time Central Heating Systems.
- Then, they need to prove that they are eligible for that scheme by using an online eligibility checker or communicating with the customer service of the respective scheme.
- Then complete the initial application process and hire a home survey team. They will assess the home conditions and suggest a suitable heating system according to the heating requirements of the home.
- Now, complete the rest of the application process and submit all the required documents.
- When the team of the respective scheme approve the application, they will send an approval letter. They will discuss the timeline of the installation process with the households.
- They will install the heating system according to the timeline and hand over all the details about the central heating systems to the homeowners.
What are the Benefits of First Time Central Heating Grants?
The First Time Central Heating Grants comes with several benefits, such as the following:
- They are totally free of cost. At the same time, due to their energy efficiency, they will reduce the energy bills to a great extent. In this way, they can become financially profitable both in the short and long term.
- They will reduce the carbon emissions from the country. The heating systems such as the Air Source Heat Pumps are not dependent on fossil fuels for heating purposes. In this way, they will go through the combustion processes. They will save the environment from the air pollution.
Conclusion
When you are applying for central heating grants, you should choose the heating system which fulfils the heating requirements properly.
At the same time, you need to choose the right size for the central heating system. You can get help from the experts in this field for this purpose.
