BOILER SCRAPPAGE SCHEME - INTERIM RESULTS

The Government has announced that 44% of vouchers offering money off the cost of a new boiler have been claimed under its scrappage scheme for England, leaving 70,000 vouchers still available.

Clive Dickin, Chief Executive of APHC, commented:

"It is excellent news that almost half of the Boiler Scrappage Scheme vouchers have been claimed within the first six weeks of the scheme. It shows there is an appetite for such a scheme. We commended the Government when the Scheme was launched and maintain that it is a good, if small, first step in the right direction.

"The information released by DECC does not reveal how many of these vouchers have been redeemed yet, which would be an interesting figure to see. With a boiler replacement costing on average £2,000 for a typical installation, I imagine many people may be put off when they realise how much they still have to contribute. The 400,000 enquiry calls leading to only 54,758 vouchers (and we don't know how many redemptions) seems to reflect this. For those who were about to change their boiler anyway, the scheme is a great help, of course.

"As far as our industry is concerned, it's a welcome boost but in the broader scheme of things it is of little significance. 125,000 boiler installations equates to around one installation per plumbing & heating engineer in the UK so it's not going to make up for the terrible effects the recession has had on the industry.

"Before the Government announced this Scheme, the plumbing & heating industry had been pushing hard for it, albeit on a larger scale. At this rate, all vouchers will have been issued by early summer and it would be a shame to see the scheme end. I would like to see the Government invest in continuing the scheme and even extending it to F and E rated boilers. Not only will consumers benefit, but so will the environment - and the volumes involved really would start to have a positive impact on our industry."

Published: 15 February 2010

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