PRESS RELEASE

May 26th, 2010

Boiler scheme runs out of steam

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil has insisted householders in Inverclyde seeking financial help to replace old boilers haven’t been given enough support by the Scottish Government in Edinburgh.

The Energy Saving Trust’s website says the Boiler Scrappage Scheme is now closed and all vouchers have been allocated – just two days after the scheme was launched.

Only 5,000 vouchers were made available in Scotland compared with 125,000 in England.

Mr McNeil, who urged his own constituents to get their applications in early last week, believes the scheme should have been widened to meet demand.

He said: “The fact that the scheme has run dry within a few days shows the level of demand out there for a grant to replace old boilers.

"A new boiler helps reduce people's fuel bills by as much as £235 a year but the number of Scots who will benefit from a new boiler grant is only a fraction of the number of people down south who’ve been given help.

“The Scottish Government need to make sure more of these vouchers are made available to ensure help gets to those who need it, not just those quickest off the mark.”
 
ENDS