Maria Caulfield, Member of Parliament for Lewes, has welcomed the news that the government is making changes to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme which will make it easier for properties off the gas grid to receive support.
The scheme makes it possible for grants of up to £7,500 to be given to households wanting to upgrade to a air source or ground source heat pump.
One of the ways the government is making the heat pumps more affordable is in changing the requirement for a property to have no outstanding Energy Performance Certificate recommendations for loft and cavity wall insulation. The previous requirement could cost households £2,500 to implement.
Ground Source Heat Pumps may be a more appropriate technology for many rural properties than Air Source Heat Pumps. Ground Source Heat Pumps are less vulnerable to external weather conditions and therefore more suitable for more exposed properties.
To better support the deployment of ground source heat pumps, the government will increase the capacity limit for shared ground loops from 45kW to 300kW. This will help spread the high costs of ground infrastructure and make ground source heat pumps more attractive.
The government is also introducing flexibility into the regulations to allow for the potential future differentiation of grant levels for off gas grid properties, whilst keeping the scheme as simple as possible for now. Introducing a new grant category for off gas grid properties will give the government the ability to respond more quickly to any changes in circumstances for these households.
Commenting on the changes, Maria Caulfield MP said:
"I welcome that the government has listened to the concerns of rural residents regarding the transition from gas boilers to low-carbon technologies like heat pumps. I hope that this will enable more households to feel confident in making the transition if they choose to."