British Gas, one of the UK’s leading energy suppliers, has relaunched its boiler scrappage scheme.

Homeowners in England, Wales and Scotland will be able to make use of the scheme, which enables households to replace energy inefficient boilers with a new Worcester Bosch appliance. Rated ‘A’ for efficiency, the Worcester Bosch central heating boiler can save households substantial money on heating bills each year.

Unfortunately, the cost of installing a new boiler dissuades many homeowners from replacing old appliances, which may be costing tens if not hundreds of pounds per year in excess energy bills. The British Gas boiler scrappage scheme aims to solve this problem by offering customers a discount off any new Worcester boiler when they trade in their old boiler. By arranging a quote before 30th June 2011, you’ll be able to get a £400 discount off any model from their Worcester range, or £200 off other boiler models.

Referring to a similar scheme run previously by the UK and Scottish governments, a spokesperson for British Gas said: “The government scheme proved very popular, but a cap on the number of available vouchers meant that thousands of households across the country missed out”.

The spokesperson added that the British Gas scheme would “ensure that some of the 3.5m households estimated to still be heated by inefficient boilers have another opportunity to benefit”.

The extent to which an old boiler can affect heating bills is not all that clear, as various factors must be considered, but it is commonly accepted that up to 25 per cent of a household’s annual energy consumption is wasted.

Charlie Brown of British Gas explained: “An inefficient boiler is one of the biggest sources of wasted energy and money in the home. It’s really important to ensure that your boiler is in a good condition and working efficiently during the warmer months so that there are no nasty surprises when temperatures drop”.

The cost benefits of replacing energy inefficient boilers remains a matter of controversy. Whilst British Gas offers £400 towards the cost of a replacement boiler, customers tend to pay out far more – thousands of pounds in some cases – on new installations. If an energy inefficient boiler costs a household an additional £100 per year, a replacement under the boiler scrappage scheme might not save money for many years, by which time the new condensing boiler might just require its own replacement.

Homeowners in England and Wales are to be offered £10,000 to cover the costs of improving energy efficiency in the home.

Announced earlier this month, the proposal aims to make energy efficiency more affordable for homeowners, many of whom cannot at present bear the cost of insulating lofts and cavity walls, converting garages or installing double glazing.

Forming part of the revised Energy Bill, the proposal is set to offer £10,000 to eligible homeowners to cover the cost of carrying out energy improvements around the home. The £10,000 is a marked increase on the previous amount offered to homeowners under the Energy Bill, which previously provided just £6,500 in funding. The scheme is also available to landlords.

Does the new Energy Bill deal provide property owners with a sufficient incentive to go green? Perhaps not. Although it is arguably the case that most homeowners would prefer an energy efficient home to one that is a little less green, the Energy Bill will not allow homeowners to reap the full benefits of efficiency changes.

The proposal is designed to supply energy improvements through Government-accredited installers. The £10,000 can cover insulation, new central heating boilers, solar panels and so on, but critically, the sum is to be repaid by homeowners through the energy savings. This means that homeowners continue to pay the full price for their energy bills (based on ever-increasing wholesale fuel costs and prior consumption), whilst the Government pockets the difference over a 20 year period.

A lot can happen in 20 years, which is why the proposal is fixed to properties and not the property owners. If figures published by the Energy Saving Trust are to be believed, simple changes such as replacing single-pane windows and installing insulation can save up to £225 on energy bills each year.

£225 over 20 years is only £4,500, so it would seem that customers are getting value for money – but will £10,000 be spent on each property? Will the rising cost of energy make the proposal worthless for homeowners? Will homeowners even want to avail of a scheme that installs various energy saving measures for free but provides none of the financial savings thereafter?

Baxi, one of Britain’s leading suppliers of energy efficient central heating systems and part of BDR Thermea, has welcomed a publication released by the UK Government that provides details of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Policy.

The RHI is expected to provide support to installation firms providing renewable heat technology. In an economic climate that has been shaped by a lingering recession and deep public spending cuts, any funding for renewable products ought to be welcomed with open arms.

Specification channel manager for BDR Thermea, Simon Osborne, said: “We are encouraged by the main thrust of the RHI documentation. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has clearly learnt the important lessons from the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) framework and created an approach which will ensure technologies can be assessed in real life installations.

“The £15m funding could create around 25,000 installations under the Renewable Heat Premium Payments which will demonstrate the benefits renewable heat can deliver by 2015.”

Mr Osborne did raise concerns over specific details of the policy document, however, stating: “There is still clarity needed on key areas. We are disappointed that the definitive tariff levels for the domestic sector have not been revealed and we look forward to the publication of this information in May 2011. We also need detail on how dwellings will be assessed as eligible and whether the RHI tariff will be metered or deemed.”

Mr Osborne concluded: “On the plus side, we are pleased to see that a clear link between RHI and the Green Deal has been expressed. Whilst there is a delay with implementation, the Government has honoured the commitment that installations completed after 15th July 2009 will be eligible for payments from 2012.”

It is hoped that the RHI scheme will increase investment in green technology by more than £4 billion over the period leading to 2020. In terms of outright cost, the scheme, which is due to come into effect later this year, is worth around £860 million. Payments made under the RHI scheme will not be available to households until October 2012, however.

According to TV presenter George Clarke many UK homes are still without insulation.

Architect and TV presenter George Clarke has expressed that many of the UK’s existing housing stock is still without insulation, despite the Government’s ambition to improve energy efficiency in homes.

In a bid to address this concern, Mr Clarke explained that the more affordable ways of cutting carbon emissions from a property are also the easiest. Measures could include cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, which according to the Energy Saving Trust can save around £145 a year on central heating bills.

Mr Clarke also noted the lack of double glazing in homes as well as the benefits of replacing old boilers that are more than 10-years-old. Commenting on this, the expert said: “It’s unbelievably inefficient; it’s coming to the end of its efficient lifespan, so you’re spending all of this money on gas, and you’re only getting 40 or 50 per cent efficiency from your boiler. That’s just ridiculous.”

Interest has been generated for Baxi’s two leading low-carbon products, the Baxi Ecogen and Baxi Bioflo, following the Ecobuild Exhibition at London ExCel.

Head of sales in Baxi’s Low Carbon Technologies business, Graham Parkes, said: “People came to the show with preconceived ideas about biomass and combined heat and power. They were able to see the models of the products on our conventional stand and then come and see the technology in action – and they were blown away!

“Live demonstrations like this help to take away the mystery of unfamiliar technologies. People were able to see for themselves how straightforward the products would be to install and use. We were able to show that the products could provide viable heating solutions for their homes.”

Changing customer attitudes towards low-carbon technologies is seen as a major stumbling block for plans to improve energy efficiency in homes across the UK. Many central heating solutions that are currently installed in homes do not meet the Government’s criteria on carbon emissions, meaning that thousands of households are not only failing to improve the environmental outlook but failing to save money on energy bills in the process.

The Baxi Ecogen and Baxi Bioflo have been designed to help homeowners reduce their outlay on domestic fuel whilst ensuring that fewer carbon emissions are produced as a result. The Baxi Ecogen dual energy system is particularly impressive in so far as it generates electricity for use in the home or to be exported to the National Grid under the Government’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT).

The Baxi Bioflo, meanwhile, is a pellet-fed boiler that is predominantly designed for use in areas that have little or no access to mains gas. The Bioflo features an efficient modulation mode that varies output between 30 and 100 per cent (3.8kW and 12kW) depending on usage and demand.

Mr Parkes added: “At Baxi, we understand that there is not a single ‘silver bullet’ to solve the issue of reducing carbon emissions in homes. It is important to match the right technology with the property and the needs of the people who live there. That’s why we have an extensive portfolio of low carbon products suitable for a range of different applications.”

The revolutionary Baxi Ecogen dual energy system has picked up two awards in the Homebuilding & Renovating Product Excellence Awards 2011.

The Baxi Ecogen overcame stiff competition in both the Green Award and Heating and Plumbing categories to emerge as Britain’s most innovative and environmentally friendly central heating boiler.

Baxi’s double success in the Homebuilding & Renovating Product Excellence Awards 2011 builds upon similar wins at the PlanExpo Awards in December 2010 and the Rushlight Awards in January. The Ecogen is described by Baxi as a dual energy system that is a “micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) wall hung gas boiler, which generates both electricity and heat from the same source”.

In addition to providing efficient central heating, the Baxi Ecogen is capable of generating up to 1kW of electricity that can be used in the home or sold back to the National Grid under the Government’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) system.

Editor-in-chief of the Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine, Michael Holmes, who also presents the Channel 5 programme, ‘I Own Britain’s Best Home’, said: “The Baxi Ecogen harnesses well established micro generation technology into a neat conventional size domestic boiler, offering households a way to generate their own clean electricity whilst heating their home and hot water. As it qualifies for the Government’s Feed-in Tariff the Baxi Ecogen could pay for itself within just a few years!”

The judges at the Homebuilding & Renovating Product Excellence Awards 2011 remarked: “[The Baxi Ecogen] deserved to win both [category awards] because, whilst this [boiler] has obvious eco credentials, it deserves to be taken seriously as a mainstream heating and plumbing solution.”

Meanwhile, Baxi’s head of sales in low carbon technologies, Graham Parkes, said: “This tremendous result is further testament to the fact that the Baxi Ecogen dual energy system is such a unique and innovative product.”

The Baxi Ecogen can be used in homes throughout Britain to deliver more cost-effective and environmentally friendly heating, whilst also offering a potential source of income from FITs. Coupled with cavity wall insulation, double glazing and other eco-friendly measures, the Baxi Ecogen can significantly improve domestic energy efficiency.

In the UK and other parts of Europe, wood-burning stoves are seen as a cheaper, more environmentally friendly alternative to gas boiler central heating systems. Wood-burning stoves are also used frequently as an additional source of heat, generating warmth for thousands of people throughout Britain. According to the University of Copenhagen’s Professor Steffen Loft, however, wood-burning stoves can damage human health.

Published in the Chemical Research in Toxicology journal, Professor Loft’s study examined and compared samples of air extracted from two villages in Denmark. In one village, wood-burning stoves were used only rarely, whereas in the other, wood-burning stoves were used regularly by most residents.

Analysing the WSPM (wood smoke particulate matter), Professor Loft established a link between the use of wood-burning stoves and various illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, cancer and heart disease. Professor Loft’s research also claims that the DNA of liver cells can be damaged by consuming food from crops contaminated by wood smoke.

Professor Loft argues: “The particles from wood smoke can certainly cause fatal heart or lung disease. In human cells that were exposed to them, substantial DNA damage and mutation took place. It was comparable to the effects of particles given off by traffic.”

In the UK, Professor Loft’s research is likely to encounter at least two contrasting bodies of popular opinion. Supporters may argue that wood-burning stoves, whilst arguably good for the environment, could damage human health and should, therefore, be more tightly regulated. Opponents are likely to stress that wood-burning stoves have been used for many years in Europe without causing health problems. Whichever argument holds true, Professor Loft’s study ought not to be dismissed out of hand or accepted without further scrutiny.

After noting that deaths caused by wood smoke were common in developing countries, Professor Loft added: “I’ve heard many complaints from individuals upset about neighbours’ wood-burning stoves because they are causing them problems such as asthma. There are improvements being made to the wood stoves to cut the level of emission, but the most important thing is how people use them.”

The professor suggested that burning small, dry wood pellets could reduce the risk of illness.

People in Scotland will once again be able to take up the offer of cash funding to help replace old boilers thanks to the re-launching of the Scottish Boiler Scrappage Scheme.

The Scottish Boiler Scrappage Scheme will once again be open for applications at 12.30pm on Tuesday February 1, 2011. The incentive aims to address the needs of some of the 250,000 homes in Scotland that are estimated to have boilers of the least efficient type.

By replacing boilers of low efficiency (70 per cent or under) the Scottish government is working to reduce the country’s CO₂ emissions.

Funding of £1million will be put towards the scrappage scheme, which is available to home owners/occupiers in Scotland. The money will be used to meet the cost of replacing inefficient boilers with new more efficient alternatives. A sum of £400 will be offered towards the cost of an upgrade.

Having your boiler upgraded will not only result in lower central heating costs but also reduced CO₂ emissions.

To be eligible for the scheme, you must:

• Obtain a quote for your boiler replacement.
• Apply for a voucher online or by telephone on 0800 512 012 from 12.30pm on February 1, 2011.
• Arrange the installation of your new boiler by March 25, 2011.
• Pay for the boiler and installation work up-front.
• Claim back the £400 by sending the completed voucher and invoice back to the Energy Saving Trust by March 25, 2011.

New figures from the Forestry Commission and Treeworld show that a substantial number of households in the north west use woodfuel boilers.

With over 200 installations in the area, more households in the UK could be tempted to follow by example and opt for low carbon central heating systems.

Consumers may also be encouraged to make the switch in light of the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which will come into force this June.

The RHI will provide financial support to anyone installing types of renewable heating, such as air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps and biomass heaters, in their home, community or workplace.

The Forestry Commission fully supports the development of biomass power generation and woodfuel heating systems. According to the organisation, woodfuel can be cheaper than fossil fuels when replacing electric, LPG, coal or heating oil.

The stylish Baxi Bioflo is a new kind of biomass boiler.

The product has been designed for properties where a connection to mains gas is not available.

The boiler is free-standing with a clean and modern design and comes in an attractive granite look or a lighter pearl finish. Its compact size means it can be installed in the living area of homes as well as in more traditional locations, such as outhouses.

Pellets are manually fed into the Baxi Bioflo and can be stored in the 34kg capacity rear compartment. Once an even combustion is achieved, the Baxi Bioflo automatically switches to an efficient modulation mode. This offers a varying central heating output between 12kW – 3.8kW according to demand.

Baxi Bioflo is MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certified.  This means that homes where it is installed will qualify for the forthcoming Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, as long as it is fitted by an MCS accredited installer. It’s also simple to operate and can provide clean, carbon neutral heating and hot water all year round.

Baxi’s head of low carbon sales, Graham Parkes, said: “Biomass fuels, such as the wood pellets burned in Baxi Bioflo, are classed as carbon neutral, because they absorb as much carbon when they are growing as they do when they are burned.  Use of local, managed fuel sources means biomass can maintain a truly carbon neutral and sustainable balance.”

Baxi has created a new brochure to help installers explain the various biomass options available and to help their customers decide which model is suitable for them.  It outlines the specification and benefits of all Baxi biomass boilers, as well as providing information on legislation, Building Regulations, support and frequently asked questions.