There has been no receipt of air conditioning grants under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme since it was announced in November last year, according to government figures.
Only 62 people have applied for the £2,500 vouchers for air-to-air heat pumps since they were made available, Boiler Upgrade Scheme figures suggest, and so far none have been issued.
The reason is said to be due to delays in the certification process, which have effectively stalled the scheme.
What government grants are available for air conditioning?
The grant is for installing air-to-air heat pumps, which provide air conditioning but can also heat homes if run in reverse. Thermal batteries were also made available to claim via the scheme as part of the expansion announced at the end of last year.
Anyone whose home has an oil or gas boiler is eligible to claim on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which is part of the government's bid to move households away from fossil fuels.
Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: "The recent June heatwave is estimated to have killed more than 800 people and as is often the case with climate change it is hitting the least well-off the most. The need for air con is now an added expense foisted on families by climate change but not everyone is going to be able to afford it.
“It won’t work for absolutely every home, but help is at hand through the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme, giving households up to £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump that generates warmth in the winter, but also cool air in the summer."
Why has nobody taken up the air conditioning grants?
The lack of uptake is reportedly due to there being no accredited installers.
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is the body responsible for giving accreditation but is reportedly still waiting for the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to give the final sign off.
Now, despite the grants being made available in April, there is no timeline for when installers can start to apply for accreditation to install air-to-air heat pumps.
As a result, while 62 people reportedly applied, no installations were carried out.
Jess Ralston told the The I Paper that it was frustrating as the money was there waiting but nobody could claim it due to the paperwork not being in place
Homebuilding & Renovating approached MCS and UKAS for comment, but a reply had not been received at the time of publishing this article.
What did the government say in response to this?
The government neither confirmed nor denied the delays.
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) spokesperson told Homebuilding & Renovating: “Brits are showing record demand for heat pumps and our Warm Homes Plan will help roll out clean power technology to millions.
“With our new £2,500 grant for air-to-air heat pumps, we are making sure everyone can access the savings they can bring and boosting our energy security.”
