The government has removed one of the main stumbling blocks preventing millions of UK households from making their homes greener and more energy efficient - opening the way for more people to save around £240 every year on their energy bills.
New regulations in the government Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides money towards these green upgrades, removes this insulation requirement and opens the scheme to people in older properties that might not be as well insulated. The government initiative provides up to £7500 for households to replace their boiler system with a heat pump, which is 65 per cent more efficient than a gas boiler.
Over the past year, applications for heat pump grants have increased by 75 per cent, with the two-year scheme already paying out around £127 million to more than 36,000 households to enable them to upgrade to a greener heat source. Unlike boilers, which typically last for a decade before being replaced, heat pumps have a lifespan of 20 years and can save a household around £4891 over a gas boiler.