Huge efficiency savings are up for grabs if homeowners received more financial support to help pay for new boilers.

That was the message this week from the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), which argued that despite the measures introduced last year, new boilers remain unaffordable for many people.

Launched in December the government's boiler scrappage scheme provides homeowners with a discount on a new boiler if they trade in their old, inefficient appliance.

While the scheme has been broadly welcomed, the NHIC is among those who argue that it does not go far enough.

"There is this scrappage scheme, nonetheless it is still very expensive," said Andrew Leech, NHIC director. "At the end of the day, you are probably talking about £3,000 to install a new boiler and there aren't too many people who have got that sort of money to spare at the moment."

Mr Leech noted that upgrading to a modern boiler could bring significant energy efficiency savings.

The most efficient boilers are now 90 to 95 per cent efficient, compared to the 30 or 40 per cent achieved by boilers made in the early 1990s.

Posted by Kim Bardsley
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