“Cutting the number of boilers that can be delivered via ECO is a big mistake,” says Isaac Occhipinti, Head of External Affairs at the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) in response to the ECO consultation.
He continued: “There are an estimated 9 million inefficient boilers still installed in UK homes. The English Housing Survey shows that privately owned and rented homes are more likely to have a noncondensing boiler, the least efficient type, yet the support to replace these boilers is being cut. For homes in fuel poverty, having a new boiler with associated heating controls could save £350 per year not to mention the social and health benefits derived from living in a warm house. Replacing or installing a new boiler often acts as a catalyst for other changes and we believe that they should be recognised as a lead technology.
“The proposed cuts are too drastic and too quick. The Government needs to stop and look at the energy savings that can be achieved when a new efficient boiler is installed together with other measures for example cavity wall insulation. I would also urge the Government to begin the consultation period for ECO 3 much earlier. If the scheme is aimed at tackling fuel poverty then thought needs to be given to all of the measures that could help make a difference; extending the gas grid would be an effective way of helping lift people out of fuel poverty and should be considered.”
To read the HHIC’s full submission click here
