A change in the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) could lead to more benefiting from renewable energy sources.
From spring 2015 social landlords will no longer need to have a Green Deal Assessment to be eligible for the scheme that pays its participants’ heating costs, so long as they already have Energy Performance Certificates for their properties and that the properties are less than two years old.
Amber Rudd MP said: “Social landlords often provide homes for some of the most vulnerable people, by making the RHI more accessible to them, we hope more of their tenants will be able to enjoy warmer homes and lower bills.”
Recent figures on fuel poverty suggest that there are 2.28 million poor households in the UK and an estimated 365,000 of them live in social houses. The fact several power companies require upfront payment can make it extremely difficult for some.
Ralph Retallack, energy efficiency project manager at Coastline Housin,g has 200 properties using renewable heating systems.
He said: “Where we have installed air source heat pumps in our properties the feedback from tenants has been very good.
“Those who were previously unable to afford oil to heat their homes say it has transformed their properties.
“The upfront cost of oil is the problem – the minimum order is 500 litres which costs from around £270 up to £370 depending on market fluctuations.”
Another change to the RHI will see the list of eligible technologies expand to include cooker stoves with back boilers which will receive the biomass tarriff of 12.2p/kWh.
Andrew Burke, of the National Housing Foundation said: “These changes to the RHi will reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and costs for social landlords applying for RHI but the real benefit will be for their tenants, who will have warmer homes and lower energy bills.”
Recommended for you
