Thousands of households can get FREE plug-in home gadgets that can slash £150 a year from energy bills

THOUSANDS of households can get free plug-in gadgets that can slash £150 a year from energy bills.

Around 865,000 households could be eligible for a free air-source heat pump and plug-in solar system.

The offer is open to qualifying homes in England and Wales that use heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), rather than mains gas.

Norwich-based heating firm Macbrook Gas is giving eligible customers a free 800W plug-in solar system when it installs an air-source heat pump.

Households could also qualify for a government grant towards the heat pump through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

The grant, combined with its own offer, will cover the full cost of the package for qualifying customers.

Who is eligible?

The deal is aimed at rural and off-grid households in England and Wales that currently rely on oil or LPG for heating.

Customers who aren’t already on LPG will also need to meet the rules of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

The scheme offers government support towards the cost of replacing a fossil-fuel heating system with a greener alternative, such as an air-source heat pump.

Macbrook said around 865,000 oil and LPG-heated homes could potentially qualify.

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However, households should check whether their property is suitable and confirm that no extra building or electrical work would come with an additional charge.

How much could you save?

Macbrook says that the free solar system could knock around £150 a year off customers’ electricity bills.

Air-source heat pumps run on electricity, while solar panels generate power that can be used around the home.

Pairing the two could therefore help cover some of the electricity needed to run the heat pump.

But the amount saved will vary depending on the property, the position of the panels, the weather and how much energy is used during daylight hours.

Johnathan McKenna, chief executive of Macbrook Gas, said the offer was launched after the firm saw rural households struggling with high heating costs.

He said many people living off-grid were vulnerable or on lower incomes but risked being “left behind” by existing energy-support schemes.

The company said recent changes to rules surrounding plug-in solar had made it easier to provide the systems.

What is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and can I get a grant?

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is available to 200,000 eligible homes across England and Wales.

The value of the grant went from £7,500 to £9,000 in July in a bid to help rural households make the switch.

There are a number of caveats to accessing the grant.

To be eligible, residents must:

Own their own property (it can be one that is rented out)
Be off the gas grid
Be looking to replace an existing heating system that uses heating oil or LPG
Have a valid Energy Performance Certificate

However, residents cannot apply for the grant themselves.

Instead, installers registered with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) will apply for the funding on their behalf.

Find a qualified installer through the MCS’s tool or by contacting an energy supplier.

To receive the grant, residents must:

Get a quote for the installation from a registered installer
The registered installer can apply for the grant from energy regulator Ofgem
Ofgem will then contact the resident to check the installer is working for them

Once the heat pump has been installed, the grant will be taken off the amount paid for the installation.