Jersey homeowners could be offered thousands of pounds to switch to low carbon heating
Jersey's government is offering homeowners thousands of pounds to make their houses more eco-friendly.
It's hoped the scheme will help islanders switch to more environmentally friendly ways of heating their homes.
It forms part of the government’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap to reduce the island’s carbon emissions.
This includes £5.7 million of funding to encourage 1,000 properties to switch from fossil fuel boilers to low-carbon heating systems.
Islanders can now apply for a grant of £5,000 as long as they match the funding.
Those on lower incomes can claim up to £10,000 without having to put up any money themselves.
To qualify as low-income, property owners must be receiving one or more of the following: income support, cold weather bonus, pension plus or the health access scheme.
The grants can be used to install a range of products including air source heat pumps, electric flow boilers, electric storage heaters and panel heaters.
Currently, around half of the island’s homes are currently believed to rely on oil-fired central heating.
With the cost of heat pumps estimated to be around £15,000 for a family home, they're currently mostly restricted to wealthier residents.
Around 100 low-carbon heating systems are being installed each year, with this number expected to rise in the future.
Deputy Hilary Jeune, the island's Minister responsible for Energy and Climate Change, said residents are becoming more conscious about the impacts of climate change:
“Families were evacuated from valley homes in January due to heavy rains and Jersey Royal potato farmers have warned about the impact of climate change on their crops.
“The heating sector is one of the highest contributors to Jersey’s emissions.
“It’s therefore a priority to support Islanders with the move away from oil and gas heating and we think this incentive will make the difference for many people and give a nudge towards low carbon options.
“The Carbon Neutral Roadmap also includes a policy that no new oil or gas boilers will be allowed to be installed in Jersey from 2026.
“This current incentive supports those wanting to make that switch early and also helps us build the skills and capacity within the market to be able to meet increased future demand for low-carbon heating systems.
“As well as the cost of installing new equipment, we’ve recognised that running costs are an issue for many Islanders, and therefore energy efficiency measures in homes will also be eligible for support for those switching away from fossil fuel heating systems.”
The government has also allocated money towards training new heat pump engineers in a drive to make sure the supply chain can cope.
Later in the year, the scheme will open up to commercial properties, landlord-owned homes and social housing.
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