Heat pump grants worth £5000

Heat pump grants worth £5,000 to replace gas boilers

Homeowners will be offered subsidies of £5,000 from next April to help them to replace old gas boilers with low carbon heat pumps. The grants are part of the government’s £3.9bn plan to reduce carbon emissions from heating homes and other buildings.

It is hoped no new gas boilers will be sold after 2035. The funding also aims to make s ocial housing and public buildings more energy efficient. Experts say the budget is too low and the strategy not ambitious enough.

Ministers say the subsidises will make heat pumps a comparable price to a new gas boiler. But the £450m being allocated for the subsidies over three years will cover a maximum of 90,000 pumps.

Heating buildings is a large contributor to the UK’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, representing 21% of overall emissions, so there is pressure on the Heat and Buildings Strategy to deliver effective reductions.

It comes as the government prepares to outline its overarching strategy for how the UK will reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and achieve sharp reductions in emissions over the next couple of decades. Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the grants to support the adoption of heat pumps, available from next April, would play a role in that, by helping to bring down the cost of the relatively new technology by 2030. Currently an air source heat pump costs between £6,000 and £18,000, depending on the type installed and the size of a property. “As the technology improves and costs plummet over the next decade, we expect low-carbon heating systems will become the obvious, affordable choice for consumers,” Mr Kwarteng said. “Through our new grant scheme, we will ensure people are able to choose a more efficient alternative in the meantime.”

While homeowners will be encouraged to switch to a heat pump or other low-carbon technology when their current boiler needs replacing, there is no requirement to remove boilers that are still working, the government emphasised. Writing in the Sun, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said “the Greenshirts of the Boiler Police are not going to kick in your door with their sandal-clad feet and seize, at carrot-point, your trusty old combi”.

Mr Johnson also sought to reassure voters about the government’s ambitions by stressing that the costs of low-carbon heating systems would go down over time while their introduction would help create thousands of new job opportunities.

10 charities you can support during Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Every year around 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK. With breast cancer now one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide, the role of charities is more important than ever in providing support services to those affected by cancer, raising awareness and undertaking research. October is #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth and in support, Brevio has launched the #BrevioGoesPink campaign to team up with breast cancer charities, showcase their important work and help them secure vital funding. Here are 11 charities you can support during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

CANCER UNITED is dedicated to making health and wellbeing support available to those going through cancer treatment, including specially designed fitness classes. Founder Jan Sheward formed the charity after experiencing first hand the lack of support available when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Cancer Research funds scientists, doctors and nurses to undertake research and help beat cancer sooner. Their research has found that 23% of breast cancer cases could be preventable - that’s almost 13,000 avoidable breast cancer diagnoses every year. So a big part of their work involves providing vital information about cancer to the community. We hear you (WHY) works with families and individuals in Bath, North East Somerset and Wiltshire to provide free therapeutic support to those affected by cancer. Their professionally trained counsellors are empathetic, collaborative and proactive in their approach. Whether it’s restaurant meals, hotel stays, beauty treatments, or tickets for events and attractions, Something to look forward to supports those affected by cancer by giving them just that - something to look forward to! Hope for tomorrow helps to make cancer care and treatment more accessible by bringing it closer to home for those who need it. Their mobile cancer care units reduce travel time and take the pressure off treatment waiting lists.

Donate a wig provides free access to wigs,makeovers and practical advice for women diagnosed with breast cancer, living in underprivileged African communities. What started as a passion project has now grown into annual events and workshops.

Make 2nds count helps to raise awareness and fund vital research into secondary breast cancer (also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer). Secondary breast cancer is commonly misdiagnosed and tragically claims 12,000 lives per year.

HER Breast Friends is a support group. The group doesn’t focus on breast cancer, but rather on creating a common bond. From monthly coffee mornings and pink pamper days, to a wig and bra bank - the group provides practical support for women affected by breast cancer.

The Pink Place offers support for women and men affected by breast cancer. This includes wellbeing services, counselling and social events. The Pink Place was founded in 2010 by friends Julia Dingwall and Janis Taylor, after Julia was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.

Against Breast Cancer fund research into secondary spread, the main cause of breast cancer related deaths. Their vision is a future free from breast cancer.