The RHI Has Launched

SERS are delighted to confirm that the long-awaited and much anticipated domestic Renewable Heat Incentive is now open for applications.
The domestic RHI scheme opened on 9 April 2014.

It is a UK Government financial incentive scheme designed to encourage uptake of renewable heating among domestic consumers. The domestic RHI is targeted at, but not limited to, homes off the gas grid. Those without mains gas have the most potential to save on fuel bills and decrease carbon emissions.

The scheme will cover single domestic dwellings and will be open to homeowners, private landlords, social landlords and self-builders. It will not be open to new build properties other than self-build.

The domestic RHI will pay the following tariffs per unit of heat generated for seven years:

Air-source heat pumps 7.3p/kWh
Ground and water-source heat pumps 18.8p/kWh
Biomass-only boilers and biomass pellet stoves with integrated boilers 12.2p/kWh
Solar thermal panels (flat plate and evacuated tube for hot water only) 19.2 p/kWh
The tariffs have been set at a level that reflects the expected cost of renewable heat generation over 20 years. Payments will be made on a quarterly basis.

The UK Government expects the RHI to make a significant contribution towards their 2020 ambition of having 12 percent of heating coming from renewable sources. The Renewable Heat Incentive is the first of its kind in the world. The scheme is intended to support some 750,000 domestic renewable heat installations between now and 2020, with solar thermal, heat pump and biomass technologies eligible to apply.

For more on the Renewable Heat Incentive, we recommend you visit the Ofgem website where you will find information and the application form. Alternatively please contact SERS and we can advise you further

The 100% online applications process is intended to be far more streamlined than its non-domestic equivalent, with simple applications being automatically assessed. The entire application form is just two pages.

In addition, any applicants who have taken advantage of the Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme (RHPP) will need to check when they are eligible to apply for further RHI support: in order to protect themselves against a huge influx of 30,000 plus applications from RHPP beneficiaries, Ofgem have staggered the application window over the next 12 months.

SERS welcome the RHI to the market and believe that it will have a huge impact on improving the UK’s energy efficiency.