The Renewable Heat Premium Payment is a government scheme that gives money to householders to help them buy renewable heating technologies – solar thermal panels, heat pumps and biomass boilers. It’s a short-term deal that will last until the Renewable Heat Incentive expands to cover the domestic sector and the Green Deal comes into force in 2012.

Who can apply?
For solar thermal products, any householder in England, Scotland and Wales can apply. For ground to water, air to water or water to water heat pumps, and for biomass boilers, householders without gas central heating in England, Scotland and Wales can apply (in other words those who are not connected to the gas grid and currently rely on fuels such as oil, liquid gas, solid fuel or electricity for their heating).

What are the conditions?
Your house must be your main home and it must have basic energy efficiency measures in place. This means you will need to confirm you have loft insulation to 250mm and cavity wall insulation, where these measures are practical. The renewable heat product you will be installing must be listed under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, and be installed by someone registered under the scheme, or equivalent. Visit the MCS website for details.

Once the equipment is up and running, you may be asked for feedback on your technology by means of a questionnaire, or to have heat metering equipment installed to monitor the output of your generator (this would not be at your expense).

What are the grants?

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