Calls have been made for additional councils to offer incentives for landlords to replace ageing boilers.
London Mayor Boris Johnson launched the London Boiler Cashback scheme on February 2, 2016, to provide £400 cashback for replacing an old and inefficient boiler. It needs to be a gas, LPG, solid fuel or oil-fuelled boiler.
The scheme was available for the first 6,500 home-owners and accredited private landlords who met the eligibility criteria. Landlords and agents had to be accredited to the London Rental Standard which defines a set of standards that landlords and their properties must reach.
The Boris Boilers, as the scheme rapidly became known, meant replacing a boiler which needed to be 70 per cent or less efficient with an A-rated gas boiler or a renewable/low carbon heating system installed by a Gas Safe or Microgeneration Certification Scheme installer or an installer accredited with another scheme on the list.
By replacing the boiler, the landlord or agent can provide a warmer home while dramatically cutting the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It is also estimated that they will save an average of £340 in heating bills. It also aids London as a whole by reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality.
The scheme has been welcomed by the Builders Merchants Federation which said that it will help Londoners save money on their bills, reduce emissions and boost the building trade.
The London Boiler Cashback scheme is virtually identical to the Boiler Scrappage Scheme launched by the Government in 2010 when more than 118,000 old boilers were replaced.
The BMF has campaigned for an end-of-life scheme for boilers to help households replace their boilers for safer, more-efficient ones.
The Boris Boilers have certainly caught the attention of people living outside the Capital who are now calling for a similar cashback incentive to be introduced in their area.
Owner of Cambridge green energy firm Green Heat, Peter Thom, believes that other local authorities in England should introduce the scheme. In an article in the Cambridge News, Mr Thom said that the scheme helps to tackle the growing problems of fuel poverty, increased carbon emissions and wasted energy.
In the meantime, landlords and agents will need to keep regular checks on their boilers, together with other gas and electrical appliances in rented accommodation. One cost-effective way in which to ensure that inspections, check ins and check outs are conducted properly is by utilising inventory software.