Npower Boiler Scrappage Scheme Launches

Hot on the heels of the UK government announcing a boiler scrappage scheme, the energy supplier Npower has announced their own.

The Npower boiler scrappage scheme allows you to get a £400 discount from a new boiler installed by them if your own boiler is more than ten years old. The move which has already started is for boilers that are G-rated. When the government scheme comes into operation in 2010, this offer will provide an additional amount over and above the main package qualifying you for a total discount of £800.

The Npower scheme offers the discount on any boiler that is over ten years old whereas the government scheme is only for G-rated boilers and not many fall into this last category. Replacing a boiler is good for two reasons. Firstly, many old boilers are less efficient so by getting one of the latest should mean that you’ll use less energy. Secondly, if your boiler has not been serviced regularly or properly, it could be producing a health and safety risk.

Is this a good deal?

The only issue we have with the large energy companies is their initial charges. The costs of using a company such as Npower or British Gas to install a new boiler could be twice what a local company could undertake it for.

With the Npower new boiler scheme they provide many additional benefits such as:

• Free annual servicing for 4 years
• Extended guarantees for 5 years

And if you’re over 60, you may qualify for the government’s Warm Front initiative, which provides an additional £300 discount if you own or rent your own home.

What next?

As with all expensive household costs, you should get quotes from at least three suppliers. It is worth asking to get a quote and then attempt to haggle on the price with the telephone advisers as you may be able to get additional discounts just by asking for them.

If you know any friends or family that have had boilers recently installed, then ask them for recommendations. Most new boilers are A rated for efficiency and all good companies will be able to advise what type and size of boiler you may require.

The actual cost of a new boiler can range from anywhere between £1,000 and £3,000 depending on the type, size and company you use to install it. Some households can save up to about £240 per year if they change from an old inefficient boiler to a new A-rated one, so the payback is going to be at least 5 years.

The positive outcome coming out of this is mainly environmental, and that’s where the government’s thinking is at. By switching to new efficient boilers, the amount of carbon being produced could be reduced by 30%.

The government’s scrappage scheme

Although announced in the pre-budget report in November by Alistair Darling that households with a G-rated boiler would receive the £400 discount there are no details on how this would operate and who would actually qualify for the discounts.

If you need or are thinking of replacing your boiler now and were going to use Npower, then this is a nice discount to have.