Free Grants for Pensioners: Eligibility, Benefits, and How to Apply?
The winter season has just arrived and the spree to keep homes warm, comfortable, and cozy has just begun. But it is not as easy as it seems to be. The cost of energy bills has surged more than ever. Surviving within limited means is almost impossible, especially when it comes to paying utility bills, meeting daily expenses, and shopping for the household.
The residents of the UK are lucky to have schemes that offer free heating grants to eligible households. One of the eligibility criteria to qualify for a heating grant is that you are receiving government benefits including child benefits, working tax credit, child tax credit, jobseeker’s allowance, and income support.
One of the free grants available to UK households is for pensioners. If you are eligible for a central heating grant for over 60s, apply now before time runs out. In this post, we are going to talk about everything you need to know about free grants available for pensioners. Stay tuned and read until the end.
What is a Free Central Heating Grant UK?
Free Central Heating Grant for Pensioners UK is a government-subsidized grant for low-income households who can’t afford to replace their old heating system. The grant under the ECO4 scheme is available for UK residents who are getting assistance from the government and can’t afford to replace the old heating system with a new one.
The free central heating grant UK will allow you to replace your inefficient boiler system with a new one to improve the EPC rating of your house.
What are the Benefits of a New Heating System?
ECO4 scheme is a fully funded program to help low-income households to replace their old boilers with new ones. There are a number of benefits of a new heating system. Let’s take a look at them.
Eco-friendly Environment
New boilers and heating systems are much more energy efficient as compared to old boilers and heating systems. That means they consume less fuel and produce more heat. This leads to lower carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, resulting in an eco-friendly environment.
Lower Energy Bills
New heating systems are energy efficient and produce more heat than old ones. The rising energy bills are a concern for many households. But replacing old boilers with new ones will surely lower the energy bills. There won’t be any burden on your pocket this winter.
Less Maintenace
If you have been using an old boiler for decades, you may have invested money in its repair and maintenance. It’s obvious as things go old, you have to take extra care of it to keep it functioning. But with the new boiler, you don’t have to worry about costly repairs and maintenance.
Eligibility Criteria for Free Grants for Pensioners in the UK
The eligibility criteria to qualify for free grants for pensioners in the UK are not too complex. Here are some of the requirements you need to fulfill to qualify for free grants.
Must be a Homeowner
Eligibility criteria for free grants for pensioners in the UK require you to be the homeowner. However, if you are living as a tenant, you can apply for it with the permission of your landlord.
Receiving Pension Credit
One of the eligibility criteria to qualify for free grants is that you must be receiving pension credit from the government of the UK. But if you are not getting the pension credit, you can still be eligible for it. You must be receiving working tax credits and your age is above 60.
Boiler Requirement
To qualify for free boiler grants as a pensioner, your gas boiler must fall in the category of inefficient. You can also apply for it if you have a broken gas boiler installed at your home.
How to Apply for Free Grants for Pensioners?
Applying for free heating grants for pensioners is simple and less time-consuming. The only requirement is that you must own a home or rent privately. Moreover, you must be receiving pension credit from the government of UK and have an old boiler installed at your home. Here’s how to apply for free grants available for pensioners in the UK.
- First step is to verify your eligibility by entering the postcode
- Once you enter the postcode, select the grant from the dropdown menu
- Answer the questions and once you submit, you will come to know whether you qualify for it or not.
- A technician will visit your home to investigate the overall condition of your boiler and the insulation of your house. Moreover, the technician will also suggest some recommendations on what to do with it.
- After the technician has surveyed your home, a team of professionals will arrive at your home to install a new heating system.
Once everything is installed and fixed, you will be able to enjoy warm and comfortable winter without worrying about energy bills.
How do the Central Heating Grants for Pensioners Work?
Free heating grants are now available for low-income households, pensioners, and vulnerable households who can’t afford to replace outdated boilers and heating systems. No matter what’s your condition, you can apply for the central heating grant for pensioners without worrying about paying anything. All the expenses will be covered by providers like British Gas. With this grant, not only will you enjoy a warm and comfortable winter season, but also improve your EPC rating. And if you are unaware of EPC rating, in short, it will improve the value of your property.
If you wish to sell your house in the near future, make sure to benefit from this grant and improve EPC rating to get better price.
Summing Up
In this post, we have discussed some of the benefits of new heating system that could help you reduce energy bills and lower carbon emissions. Moreover, you will also learn how to apply for free grants available for pensioners, who is eligible and what you have to pay for it.
