Paying the boiler and installation costs of about £2000-£4000 is quite a big deal for vulnerable UK households. That is why most UK homes struggle with comfort and cost-effectiveness issues. However, a lot of households act smart and avail themselves of free boiler grants for their homes’ energy requirements.
To solve this problem, many professional installers collaborate with government grants to help low-income and low-energy efficient households get free boilers, heat pumps, and central heating systems installed.
In this blog, among all heating system schemes, we will dig deeper into the details of combi boiler grants available for England residents. We will also explore how these grant combi boilers are helping house owners cut heating costs and make them contribute to the net-zero policy of the UK government.
But before we understand how these grants help cut costs, let’s understand what combi boilers actually are.
What Are Combi Boiler Grants?
There are several free boiler grants available for vulnerable/low-income households to meet the energy efficiency standards. Those grants provide different types of boilers to UK households as per their unique requirements, one of which are combi boilers. These grants are often referred to as Combi Boiler Grants in general.
One thing you need to know about combi boiler grants is you don’t have to repay the amount you receive for installing a combi boiler. or any other heating systems that support the boiler, cut energy costs, or meet the EPC rating criteria.
To name the major combi boiler grants available for England residents,
- Energy Company Obligations Scheme Phase 4 (ECO4)
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
Both these grants are government initiatives to help the low income households save on their energy bills, be more energy efficient, and generate less carbon emissions. These government schemes are also major contributors to the UK government’s goal to reduce carbon emissions by 68% by 2030 and meet net-zero emissions by 2050.
How Combi Boilers Help Reduce Heating Costs
Combi boilers also known as combination boilers work as both central heating and hot water boilers. The central heating system is controlled by a thermostat. When the thermostat sends the signal to the boiler about the temperature drop from the set limit, the boiler will automatically heat up. Than boiler send the heating to central heating systems. Once the set temperature reaches the limit, the boiler sets itself to modulate or turn itself off to save energy. However, when the tap is turned on, the boiler converts the heat to provide instant warm water.
Here are a few ways combi boiler grants can help England homeowners reduce heating costs:
- Energy Efficient
The combination boilers are known for their energy efficiency ratings, which usually exceed over 90% (or even up to 98% in some cases). This energy efficiency rating of combi boilers helps England homeowners cut energy costs and save on utility bills. These boilers usually use 55% of the available energy to provide heating and hot water as compared to traditional boilers.
Installing the combi boilers, houseowners can save significantly on energy bills. However, if used strategically, their energy efficiency ratings can exceed up to 98% which is the most for a condensing boiler.
- Condensing Technology
Almost all of the combi boilers available today use condensing technology, which significantly reduces energy wastage. Combi boilers reuse the residual heat of the exhaust gases which saves the new energy to be used for heating purposes. Condensation processes not only help lower the carbon footprint but also save immense amounts of energy from being wasted.
By using the condensing technology in the boilers, the energy efficiency can be boosted up to 15% more. It saves the same amount of money on energy bills and overall fuel consumption. This contributes to avoiding fuel poverty in UK households, saving on energy bills, and reducing the carbon footprint, all with the help of combi boiler grants.
- Low Maintenance Requirements
The grant combi boilers are highly energy efficient, condensing, and built with the latest technology. They have low maintenance, ultimately saving money on maintenance costs. As compared to non-condensing or other condensing boilers, combi boilers save the most on maintenance. To understand how these boilers are low maintenance, you need to understand how they differ from others regarding working efficiency.
The combi boilers have no water tank to store the heated water. When the thermostat shows a dropped temperature, combi boilers automatically turn the heating on, and when the tap is open. The boiler turns the heat towards the tap to heat the water instantly. Because these boilers work automatically and have no water tank that can leak, they save a lot of money on maintenance.
- Low Installation Costs
The installation costs for a combi boiler are also relatively low as compared to the system or regular boilers. The usual cost ranges from £600 to £1,500 for a combi boiler, but the location specifics also contribute to the final costs.
Furthermore, if you are eligible for combi boiler grants, you can get your new combi boiler installed at zero cost. Those schemes are widely available for the UK households who meet the eligibility criteria.
- On-Demand Water Heating
As mentioned above, these grant combi boilers do not contain a water tank to store the heated water, instead, it deliver the heated water at demand. Meaning, that whenever you turn the tap on, the combi boiler will use central heating to heat the tap water. In this way, the user will get warm water instantly, plus the boiler does not have to store the heated water in the tank.
Water storage might not be a bad thing but it wastes a lot of energy and increases maintenance costs.
- Compatibility with Renewable Energy Sources
Renewable energy sources are usually less expensive than fossil fuels. That’s another way grant combi boilers help homeowners cut energy costs. Combi boilers are compatible with renewable energy sources, which not only save costs but also reduce the carbon footprint. They are also more energy efficient as compared to other boilers.
Eligibility Criteria for the Grants
In order to be eligible for combi boiler grants, you need to meet the following criteria:
- Benefit Recipient
- Homeowner or Tenants With Permission
- Boiler Installed Before 2005 (Non-condensing)
- Gas Metre Installed
- Eligible Property Style
- EPC Rating D or Lower
If you meet the above criteria, you might qualify for a free combi boiler installation through the ECO4 scheme. This helps you reduce energy costs, be cosier, and contribute to the mission of lower maintenance costs. If you want to get these grants through a reliable installer, Grant Boilers can be your go-to service provider.
Conclusion
To wrap up this discussion, we can say that combi boilers are assisting UK households in cutting energy costs significantly. These models are more energy efficient, which saves up to 90% on fuel consumption. They use condensing technology, have lower maintenance and installation costs, and are compatible with renewable energy sources as compared to fossil fuels. All of this makes Grant combi boilers a preferred choice for UK households.
In this blog, we have compiled some of the ways combi boiler grants help homeowners in the UK to save on energy costs. We have also shared the eligibility criteria for your reference.