Do You Qualify For Up To A £13,900 Government Incentive?

Paying over the odds to heat your home in the rural areas of Scotland is becoming a thing of the past. Not being close to a mains gas connection usually forces you to heat your home with more expensive off-grid fuel sources and systems. Finally there is another way.

Old and common solutions vary from domestic heating oil, LPG gas, electric night storage heating, electric wet systems, solid fuels such as wood, coal and peat.

According to The Telegraph, an average home uses around 2500 litres of oil per year which results in an average annual heating bill of £1500.

What options do you have to reduce your Oil Spend?

The traditional choice would be to install a new high efficiency oil boiler, reducing your oil usage by up to 25% depending on the age and efficiency of your current system.

This is the simplest option and can generally be completed within a few days.

A more efficient and effective way to reduce rising off-grid fuel costs would be to install a renewable energy heating system.

Renewable energy products such as air source heat pumps are widely used to replace oil-fired boilers, LPG boilers, electric wet systems and storage heating.

With a massive efficiency rating of 350%, the reduction in energy bills can be up to 60%.

Air source heat pumps are also backed by the government renewable heating incentive of up to £13,900, which combined with your energy bill savings, makes this an attractive option.

Is An Air Source Heat Pumps Right For You?

What is a heat pump?

An air source heat pump transfers the warmth from the outside air, to a heating system inside the property.

The heating system works under the principle of vapour compression refrigeration, resembling the way a household fridge works, only in reverse.

Using an air source heat pump as part of a domestic heating solution gives the opportunity to absorb heat from the outside air and transfer it inside into hot water-filled radiators, underfloor heating and a domestic hot water supply.

Do I qualify for the Government Incentive of up to £13,900?

The good news is this is not means tested, however, there are some criteria set out to qualify for the Government incentive known as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI);

• Are you the homeowner?
• Have you claimed before?
• Is the product eligible?

The best thing to do is contact an installer to enquire about the eligibility.

Do You Qualify For A £13,900 Government Incentive?

In terms of fuel savings, figures published by the Energy Saving Trust suggest that, depending on what fuel type the heat pump is replacing, could save you from £300 to £1,090 per year.

In addition to the savings, and if you qualify the “Renewable Heat Incentive” (RHI) would pay you up to £13,900 over the next seven years.

by Susie McArthur | Feb 17, 2021 | Energy

Here in the UK, we’ve witnessed a dramatic rise in installations of “solar photovoltaic (PV) panels”
all over the country; there are probably houses in your own street with this technology fitted to the roof.

The UK now boasts over 12,000MW of installed solar capacity, compared to just 31MW at the beginning of 2010. Love them or not, they have helped greatly in the reduction of our carbon footprint!

With the recent end to the Government’s “Feed in Tariff” customers are now looking to self-consume and use all the electricity produced from the system, rather than export back to the grid.

This is now being made possible with the additional help from Battery storage and EV car chargers.

Are Solar Panels Suitable for Me?

Orientation

Orientation is Key when considering installing Solar PV. Solar PV can be installed on a South Orientation, East or West facing orientation, however never on a north facing orientation. South is deemed as the best performing orientation and will generate more electricity over the course of the year in comparison to East & West orientations – although East & West can still generate a high yield too. It is best to have a survey to find out how much your home will generate specifically.

Roof Pitch

Pitch of roof is also important. A roof pitch of around 45 degrees is the best performing pitch and will deliver a slightly better return than other pitched angles. In the circumstances such as flat roofs, you can also make use of prefab A-frame’s and ensure an optimal pitch.

Roof Space

How much roof space do you need? System sizes can vary from 1.6kw to 5.1kw for a domestic house. So, space is often not a problem on most houses, however its when other factors such as Dormer windows and other restrictions are located on the elevation that space becomes an issue. A 1.6kw system will require just under 10m2 in space on the roof and a 5.1kw system will require just under 30m2.

Shading

When it comes to Solar Panels, shading is not a friend. When considering Solar PV for your property, take note of any surrounding trees that may cast a shadow on the roof that is most suitable, during the daylight hours. Heavy shading will prevent the Solar panels generating and if a significant percentage is shaded then it cannot prevent the whole system from working.

How can Battery Storage help me?

Before Battery storage became available, Solar systems automatically sent any un-used energy generated back to the national electricity grid. For this, you were paid around 4p per unit from the export tariff. The government deemed this to be around 50% of what was generated regardless of what was used or exported.

By having a battery to store the energy that you do not use, you can potentially store that surplus 50% that would other wise be sent to the grid. As the average cost per unit of electricity is around 15p in todays market, you stand to make around 11p per unit saving on all energy stored and used from the battery.

Electric Vehicle Car Charger

If you currently have an electric car and using your home tariff to charge the car, each unit will cost you at least 15p per unit. Using your Solar PV during the day to charge the car or storing the energy in the battery for later use will also save you money. Some energy suppliers will even give you a special tariff for EV chargers too.

Summary

To summarise, Solar PV systems can be beneficial to many households by saving money on electricity and significantly reducing your carbon footprint. Even better, with a Battery Storage system, you can store unused energy that would otherwise be sent back to the grid, resulting in further savings. There are several factors to consider when installing PV systems such as roof orientation, pitching, space and shading, so it is recommended to have a survey carried out by a member of our specialized survey team. With the rise of households using electric powered cars, battery storage and solar PV systems can be advantageous, by providing the cheapest energy and even special rates provided by energy suppliers.

Why is it difficult to obtain an accurate idea of how much an Air Source Heat Pump Costs? Well, we will dive into the reasons as to why, and give you an idea of what to expect.

So firstly, what is an Air Source Heat Pump?

An Air Source Heat Pump is a renewable heat source that provides full central heating and hot water to both domestic and commercial properties. Also known as Air to Water, an Air Source Heat Pump can be up to 5 times more efficient that a conventional heating system – This is measured and known as a COP efficiency (coefficient of Performance). An Air Source Heat Pump works just like a standard heating system in the way that it will heat your radiators and provide hot water while being all thermostatically controlled and timed to your preference.

Will my home be suitable for an Air Source Heat Pump?
Like all things, we must make sure it is right for us but more importantly when it comes to energy saving, is it right for the property!

The consensus is that the better insulated and the more energy efficient your home is, the better the Air Source Heat Pump will perform. While although this is true, its not as simple as that, and so I will explain why older properties are just as suitable.

When comparing properties, the current fuel system is also relevant and should be taken into consideration. Whether you have an oil boiler or an Air Source Heat Pump, they will both be heating an inefficient home. So yes, the running costs of an Air Source will be higher for the older inefficient property in comparison to the newer more efficient property, however the running costs of the already present heating system will also be more expensive.

So, what does this mean?

It means that although the initial cost can be larger for an older property in comparison to a newer property, the % of savings on your bills remain the same. So, although you may have a higher purchase price you will also have higher savings.

Here is an Example.

As you can see, the running cost increased from £350 per year on the Newer property to £700 per year on the older property because of the lower insulation qualities which in turn required a larger unit to deliver the same heat as the newer property did with a smaller unit.

So how can I find out the cost for my house?

Because every house is different it is extremely hard to obtain a figure over an email or a phone call. As you have seen from the examples above, things like insulation, house construction, windows, fuel source, property size, internal room sizes and age of home – to mention a few, have a big impact on the size of heat pump required.

Once you have managed to calculate the size required, then it becomes about building the system design internally. Are the existing radiators big enough for the room to achieve the desired room temperature? How is the hot water being delivered? Combi boiler or hot water tank? Is that compatible? Where can the unit go outside? Does it require pipe runs? And so on.

So, it is always advised to get to get a survey carried out because there is no way to estimate without the knowledge of the property. As you can see from the example above, same house with only the wall insulation that is different, can have a difference of 3KW in the unit size alone and thousands of pounds of a difference in the installation’s costs too.

Most surveys are free of charge and will give you a full breakdown of costs, savings, and any government incentives.

by Reece Martin | July 20th, 2020 | Energy

If the cost of living is getting you down, you could take control of your fuel bills by changing the way you heat your home.
Eco heating solutions can have a dramatic impact on the cost of keeping warm.

Here’s what you need to know.

Do You Qualify For A £13,900 Government Incentive?

It’s no big secret that our energy bills have soared in recent years.

In fact, just last year alone, the ‘Big Six’ energy suppliers bumped their prices up between £75 and £105 for average households on dual fuel standard tariffs, an increase of around 5.3 percent and the fastest rate rise since 2014.

It would seem that this is not the end of it either, with experts predicting further rises through 2020/21 as wholesale prices continue to soar.

Even if you’re not too worried about the cost, the environmental impact of our traditional heating methods leaves a lot to be desired. Around 42 percent of the 4.7 tonnes of CO2 emitted by a typical home is down to our heating, contributing to climate change and disastrous weather events around the globe. Swapping fossil-fuelled heating for an eco-heating solution can go a long way towards helping the UK reach its target of an 80 percent reduction in emissions by 2030.

Let’s take a look…

Air source heat pumps

You might have heard of ground source heat pumps (GSHP) which require either a horizontal or vertical trench to be dug. If you’re living in an urban or suburban location, chances are you’re limited on outside space and can’t have something like this installed. Air source heat pumps could be the answer, as they don’t require any digging and only need a compact air compressor unit to be installed outside the property.
It works just like a regular boiler, connecting to radiators around the home, however, this renewable energy product will save you a significant amount of money on running costs, compared to traditional heating systems.

 

Is my home suitable?

You’ll need a home that has been insulated to get maximum benefit from this and will need an outside space to attach the compressor to the wall.

 

Can I afford it?

Cost of installation depends on the size of your property. However more and more homeowners are taking advantage of the current Government scheme called “Renewable Heat Incentive” which can earn you a 7 year tax free income of up to £13,900! All homeowners are eligible for this scheme and it will go a long way to paying for all or part of your initial investment.

High-efficiency electric heaters

If you’re stuck with electricity for your heating and are living with awkward, uncontrollable night storage heaters, you could enjoy a better outlook with high-efficiency German Electric Radiators.
Using a dynamic reheating process, these units are super-efficient, saving you money and helping you keep your home warmer and more comfortable too. Known as Wibo heating, these are easy to use, fast to heat up and can be individually controlled throughout the home to give you heat where and when you need it and at whatever temperature you require day or night.

 

Is my home suitable?

Absolutely! There is no home which cannot be switched over to Wibo.

 

Can I afford it?

The cost of your Wibo heating will depend on the size and number of radiators you need. You could consider also installing solar PV for your own electricity supply, making these heaters even cheaper to run.

Want to take things a step further?

If eco heating is out of your reach, or if you’re keen to do more to stamp down ridiculous energy bills, here are some more ideas for ways you could get things back under control.

Living in the rural areas within Scotland often means you are not close to a mains gas connection, forcing you to heat your home with more expensive off-grid fuel sources and systems.

These vary from domestic heating oil, LPG gas, electric night storage heating, electric wet systems, solid fuels such as wood, coal and peat.

Do You Qualify For Up To A £13,900 Government Incentive?

Oil Prices are volatile and can be subject to drastic changes caused by global trends.

In 2018 we have seen the unit price rise to over 60p per litre.

According to The Telegraph, an average home uses around 2500 litres of oil per year which results in an average annual heating bill of £1500.

Compare this to the average 2018 annual domestic mains gas bill of £646, published by Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

What options do you have to reduce your Oil Spend?

The traditional choice would be to install a new high efficiency oil boiler, reducing your oil usage by up to 25% depending on the age and efficiency of your current system.

This is the simplest option and can generally be completed within a few days.

A more efficient and effective way to reduce rising off-grid fuel costs would be to install a renewable energy heating system.

Renewable energy products such as air source heat pumps are widely used to replace oil-fired boilers, LPG boilers, electric wet systems and storage heating.

With a massive efficiency rating of 350%, the reduction in energy bills can be up to 60%.

Air source heat pumps are also backed by the government renewable heating incentive of up to £13,900, which combined with your energy bill savings, makes this an attractive option.

Is An Air Source Heat Pumps Right For You?

What is a heat pump?

An air source heat pump transfers the warmth from the outside air, to a heating system inside the property.

The heating system works under the principle of vapour compression refrigeration, resembling the way a household fridge works, only in reverse.

Using an air source heat pump as part of a domestic heating solution gives the opportunity to absorb heat from the outside air and transfer it inside into hot water-filled radiators, underfloor heating and a domestic hot water supply.

Do I qualify for the Government Incentive of up to £13,900?

The good news is this is not means tested, however, there are some criteria set out to qualify for the Government incentive known as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI);

1. Are you the homeowner?
2. Have you claimed before?
3. Is the product eligible?

The best thing to do is contact an installer to enquire about the eligibility.

Do You Qualify For A £13,900 Government Incentive?

In terms of fuel savings, figures published by the Energy Saving Trust suggest that, depending on what fuel type the heat pump is replacing, could save you from £300 to £1,090 per year.

In addition to the savings, and if you qualify the “Renewable Heat Incentive” (RHI) would pay you up to £13,900 over the next seven years.

by Susie McArthur | May 23, 2019 | Energy

Here in the UK, we’ve witnessed a dramatic rise in installations of “solar photovoltaic (PV) panels”
all over the country; there are probably houses in your own street with this technology fitted to the roof.

The UK now boasts over 12,000MW of installed solar capacity, compared to just 31MW at the beginning of 2010. Love them or not, they have helped greatly in the reduction of our carbon footprint!

With the recent end of the Government’s “Feed-in Tariff,” consumers are now looking to “self-consume” and use all of the electricity produced from their systems instead of putting it back into the grid.
This is now being made possible with the introduction of battery storage which is now available and affordable.

No doubt you’ve heard plenty about solar panels, but could you own them yourself?

What questions should you ask to determine if your home is suitable, and what are the consequences for your investment if your home isn’t exactly right? Let’s find out.


Is your home solar panel & battery storage suitable?

Are Solar Panels Right For Me?

1. Orientation Is Key

The way your roof faces can make a big difference to its suitability for solar. In an ideal world, you would have a pitched roof facing due south, ready to catch the maximum amount of sunshine throughout the day, but how many of us live in a house that is so perfectly orientated? As a general rule, if you have a surface which faces south-east or south-west, that’s fine. You can even install panels on a roof which faces due east or west and you will only incur approximately a 15 per cent drop in energy output.

2. How much roof space do you have?

Unlike solar thermal (hot water panels) which is not much bigger than a radiator, solar PV (electricity panels) require a larger amount of space. As a rough guide, you’ll need an area of about the size of a parking space for a typical array, although the precise size will depend on the capacity of the system you are installing.

3. What about the shade?

Heavy shading is bad news for solar panels. Take note of any tall trees, chimneys and other buildings nearby, and decide whether they are likely to cast a shadow on your solar system at any point during the day.

4. How strong is your roof?

Most modern roofs will be able to accommodate the weight of solar panels, no problem. However, it is important to work with an installer who carries out structural assessments to ensure your roof is not damaged. An old or weak roof doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have PV, only that you’ll need to take steps to strengthen it first.

Still Not Sure If Solar Panels Are Right For You?

5. What’s the angle of your roof?

The ideal angle for a solar panel is between 30 and 45 degrees, which isn’t a million miles away from every type of angle you’ll normally see on a pitched roof in the UK.

It is possible to install panels with pitches as shallow as 15 degrees up to 50 degrees, but outside of that range, the efficiency would start to reduce significantly. You can have solar PV installed on flat roofs using a frame to angle them perfectly, but you’ll need to make sure that the flat roof can take the weight.

6. Where do you live?

As a general rule, it doesn’t matter where you live as the more recent panels work on daylight and not direct sunshine. However, the more daylight you get, the better your panels will perform.

7. Can I use the Energy I generate?

Yes, you can, all energy that you generate can be used immediately, or if you add battery storage then you can also store the energy to use a later time.

Many Energy saving tip websites advise that if you have Solar panels installed then alter your consumption habits such as;

• Run your washing machine during the day.
• Slow cook your dinner through the day.
• Charge up your electrical appliances during the day.
• Heat your hot water during the day.

The reason for operating your electrical goods during the day is that your Solar Panels will be generating free electricity to use and can offset your daily consumption by optimising the times in which you use energy.

8. Can I store the energy to use later?

If you add a Battery Storage System, it allows you to greatly optimise your consumption during the day.
You will benefit more from your system before any unused energy goes back to the grid and will also store excess energy generated for later use.

Technology is moving fast and “Grid Sharing” means that you will also be able to sell any excess energy back to the grid from your battery if and when it suits you to do so.

If you’re thinking about installing solar, or solar with the addition of battery storage, considering these questions can help you to understand whether your home is suitable or not, but you should not base your decisions on this alone.

An installer will be able to conduct a free home site suitability survey to establish for sure whether solar is the best technology for you, and what you could expect from your system by way of a return.