Boiler Scrappage Scheme welcomed
29 March 2011
From 4th April a wide-ranging and privately funded Boiler Scrappage grant will be made available to householders who wish to connect to natural gas for the first time in the Greater Belfast area.
The scheme will see the local gas industry stump up £400 cash back for any consumers wishing to upgrade from an old inefficient domestic oil boiler to a high efficiency A-rated natural gas boiler. The scheme will go even further by also offering significant cash back for users of Economy7.
The Department for Social Development recently announced that it would be implementing a small targeted scrappage scheme for sections of the fuel poor, however the Phoenix Natural Gas administered scheme announced this week will be more wide-ranging and open to householders right throughout the Greater Belfast gas licence area.
Sinn Fein's social development spokesperson Carál Ní Chuilín MLA told the Irish News:
"I welcome this initiative from Phoenix Natural Gas as a step in the right direction in the fight against fuel poverty. As we saw over the winter there are still many homes across Greater Belfast with poor inefficient heating systems which simply cannot cope with extreme weather. The Phoenix led boiler scrappage incentive will no doubt give many local people the confidence to make that step to upgrade their heating system to natural gas".
David Taylor, President of the Northern Ireland Plumbing Employer's Federation, said:
"This will be a big boost for gas installers and of course householders who have old inefficient heating systems and are thinking of upgrading. Natural gas is currently massively cheaper than oil and Economy7 and of course has a range of other benefits that appeal to consumers. The view of the industry is that the incentive announced this week will definitely lead to an increase in demand".
Pic: Sinn Fein MLAs Carál Ní Chuilín and Gerry Kelly join Phoenix mascot 'Wally the Waster' in launching the new Boiler Scrappage scheme.