Making the most of RHI
Although much attention has been placed on the level of installations which will
be supported by the domestic RHI, legacy applications can also be made until 09
April 2015, explains Robert Burke, HETAS
N
ow that the domestic RHI is
here, we need to make sure
we’re making the most of it.
Having waited for so long it
seems slightly surreal that the
system is now in place. Reports are that the
take up so far has been slow, but then the take
up at the start of the non domestic RHI was
also slow, but accelerated to become a great
success. We expect to see the same pattern
in the domestic sector, and both installers
and manufacturers have been putting the
necessary MCS approvals in place to take
advantage of the new business opportunities.
Customers who installed a renewable
heating system before the RHI was launched
on 09 April 2014 may also be eligible for
payments under the scheme. These are known
as legacy applicants, and includes individuals
and organisations who received the
Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP). At
the time of writing OFGEM has approved over
500 legacy applications, and their enquiry line
has been busy with calls from both consumers
and industry. At this stage enquiries are split
almost equally between biomass, heat pumps
and solar thermal. The published fi gures
of MCS installations show that biomass is
now the second most regularly installed
technology after heat pumps, so there is very
clear potential for biomass to become one of
the top two heating technologies under RHI.
There are some subtle differences for RHI
legacy applicants in that the heating system
doesn’t need to meet current MCS standards
as long as it was MCS certifi ed at the time of
commissioning. Biomass systems don’t need
to be metered for payment if it’s not sized to
heat the entire property, and it doesn’t need
to meet the air quality requirements which
installations after 09 April 2014 must do.
Legacy applicants have the benefi t of being
protected from tariff reductions if at any stage
the government decides to change these due
to budget constraints for the RHI scheme.
The timing of applications has been
phased as the government expects large
numbers of households to apply. Customers
who didn’t receive RHPP funding can apply
immediately, including those who received
RHPP vouchers but didn’t use them. RHPP
recipients who applied for funding prior to 20
May 2013 can apply for RHI funding from 09
July 2014, and those who applied for RHPP
funding after 20 May 2013 can apply for RHI
support from 09 October 2014.The great
thing about allowing legacy applications is
that all those installers and customers who
were forward thinking enough to anticipate
the domestic RHI will be able to benefi t
from payments. There is great potential for
the scheme with over 100,000 Green Deal
assessments which have already been
undertaken, and which are the pre-requisite
for householders joining the scheme. There
are over 600 biomass MCS approved products,
and the majority of these are also registered
with the RHI Emissions Certifi cate online
database which HETAS is maintaining as part
of the scheme and which can be accessed
online at www.rhieclist.org.uk. Installers
and businesses are also getting on board with
the scheme, but more MCS applicants will be
needed as and when demand increases, as it
did with the non domestic RHI.
We’ve recently streamlined the MCS
application process for installers. The network
of HETAS approved training centres has also
been expanded to meet demand, and HETAS
offers a combined competent persons and
MCS registration package which is fi nancially
very attractive for installers.
The timing of applications has been phased as the
government expects large numbers of households to
apply
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