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I’m an OAP - am I eligible for heating grants?

Our expert replies...

John, I’ll answer your questions in order.

1. There are a few organisations currently offering free cavity wall insulation EDF Energy is one and you don’t even have to be an EDF customer). The caveat is that if you have pre-existing cavity wall insulation - regardless of how long ago you had it done and to what standard - you’re ineligible for the free deals. Also getting a grant to meet some of the costs is unlikely. However, according to the Energy Saving Trust (EST) whom I contacted about your circumstances, in 1971 cavities weren’t filled as standard. If insulation was installed then, even with a 25-year guarantee, you could still get financial support to have it redone. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.


2. According to the EST, there’s no financial support available to replace warm air (WA) heating boilers and it says that most social housing providers (where this type of heating is most often found) replace them as standard with wet systems. Modern WA boilers exist - Johnson & Starley are arguably the UK’s main manufacturers and suppliers of domestic WA systems - and the modern versions offer the option of an integral domestic hot water circulator. Also there are qualified repairers of WA systems and the parts for even old boilers are available, so don’t be fobbed of by the “I can’t get the parts” speech.


3. There is not - and never has been - a government-backed “window scrappage scheme”. Boiler scrappage and car scrappage schemes have been introduced by the government but not window scrappage. It doesn’t exist as a government-sponsored scheme with cash incentives; rather it’s merely wishful thinking by the replacement window industry, which petitioned the government to introduce such a scheme. If you see a glazing company offering a “scrappage scheme” it’s basically a discount on the windows rather than a government subsidy.


4. As with cavity wall insulation, free loft insulation is available, but (again) there are caveats. Grants aren’t available if you already have insulation installed or if you do the work yourself (as with most things that offer a grant, the installation must be carried out by an accredited installer). And the 100% grant is only available if you are either over 70-years-old or in receipt of a raft of benefits which you don’t receive (the council tax credit only qualifies if you’re disabled, not a single occupant). EDF Energy is offering free loft insulation for applications made before 31 March 2012 as long as the existing insulation is less than 60mm thick (the modern stuff is 270mm thick) and EDF is able to insulate at least two-thirds of the total loft surface.

You unfortunately fall between a number of eligibility stools - not quite 70, not in receipt of qualifying benefits and your house has already been insulated. But that’s not to say you should give up trying.

In fact, environment secretary Chris Huhne has just announced a new “green deal” to bring energy efficiency into people’s homes, but these will be in the shape of loans rather than grants or subsidies. Huhne says the loans will meet a “golden rule” - that the energy savings delivered by the measures will be bigger than the loan repayments.

However, consumer watchdog Which? is warning consumers to be aware that the green deal is not an energy efficiency grant. The finance comes in the form of a loan and anyone taking up the Green Deal will be expected to pay interest.

As I don’t know where in the UK you live nor the size or style of your property (terraced, semi, bungalow, et al) it’s hard to give you accurate information, but check out the Energy Saving Trust’s grants and discounts database.

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