Hi Kathryn
Re: your latest edition of Plumbzine and fuel poverty.
Should we not be tackling this issue through the Energy Companies Obligation. Unfortunately this government programme is still missing out vulnerable households that should not be relying on the either the social services budget or the NHS budget.
What appears to be the issue is that these households do not have a sufficient Co2 savings, known as Life Time Saving to make it financially viable for an installer to fit a new boiler. The boiler could well be broken, have an efficiency rating of much less than 86% and the household that might well be in fuel poverty. This is the issue we need to raise.
As the rate paid out by the energy companies has dropped considerably over the past 12 months (60% reduction) a considerable amount of households are missing out on this government scheme. I.E. last year we were receiving 16p per carbon saved we the average carbon saving based on 12,000. 12,000 x .16 = £1,920 – today we are being offered £840.00.
This could be solved if the government set a fixed rate per qualifying household per boiler, per pipe run, per bonding required ETC. We would all have a consistent matrix to work from, and those in most needs would receive the help that they need.
Denis Hennigan BA. CIHCM.
Managing director, DHL (Energy) Services