If you install an air source heat pump in your home between now and March 2022 it is possible to benefit from the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (DRHI) scheme run by the UK Government. This scheme was set up to help promote the installation of renewable heating systems in the home, whereby subsidy payments are paid to those who have an eligible system installed every 3 months over a 7 year period.  

With Igloo's Clean Heat Switch we can help to reduce the up-front cost of your heat pump via a process called Assignment of Rights. What this means is that we can claim the DRHI payments on your behalf instead of you receiving the payments over 7 years. In return for you assigning these payments over to us, we will provide you with a vastly reduced system price.   

If you chose to proceed with Igloo’s Clean Heat Switch, there are a couple of actions and considerations you need to be aware of which we have outlined below (plus some useful links at the end): 

• Within 14 days of the system being Commissioned you will need to complete your online application for the Domestic RHI and Nominate Igloo Renewable Assets Limited as your registered investor.  

• To remain compliant with the scheme, you will need to ensure the new heating system remains in good working order and is serviced once a year in accordance with the manufacturer guidelines (you will need to do this anyway to ensure your warranty remains valid). We can provide this service for you, though you are free to use other service providers if preferred.  

• You will need to spend a few minutes once a year submitting an annual declaration via Ofgem’s MyRHI portal.  

• If there are any changes to your heating system, for example it stops working, needs repair or is changed in any way you  will need to notify Ofgem and Igloo. If ownership of the heating installation changes (e.g. if you sell your home) you will also need to  notify us and Ofgem at least 28 days prior to the change of ownership.  

• You will need to notify Ofgem of any changes that might impact your RHI eligibility (e.g. if the property remains unoccupied for more than 183 days in a year, or if you later receive public grants for the installation). Again, you will need to do this whether you choose to go with our Clean Heat Switch or not.  

Useful links 

Ofgem’s Essential Guide for Domestic RHI applicants: 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive-essential-guide-applicants  

Ofgem's guidance on the ongoing obligations regarding RHI payments: 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/domestic-rhi/participants/ongoing-obligations  

Ofgem’s guidance regarding Assignment of Rights: 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/essential-guide-assignment-rights  

We are here to help 

Dealing with Government schemes can be complicated, but we have a lot of experience doing so and are here to help you understand your options and the full details. If you have any questions, please do get in touch with the team who will be happy to help.  

Click here to make an enquiry 

Or give us a call 

0333 016 4500 

Our hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm 

What is hybrid heating? 

Hybrid heating is a combination of your existing boiler with a highly efficient air source heat pump and smart heating controls combining to create a highly efficient heating system that uses less energy, costs less to run and is better for the environment.  

Once installed, the air source heat pump will convert the heat from the outside air into warm air or hot water to be used inside your home. Depending on current energy prices, the outside temperature and your home's heat capacity, our intelligent controls will decide when to use your heat pump or your boiler so as to ensure your home is heated in the most cost-efficient way.  

How does an air source heat pump work? 

Unlike your boiler which uses fossil fuel combustion to generate heat, an air source heat pump uses a small amount of electricity to convert the heat found naturally in the outside air (even at minus temperatures), into a fluid. This fluid passes through a compressor where its temperature is increased, these higher temperatures are then transferred to the heating and hot water circuits of your home. 

What does an air source heat pump sound like? 

Because heat pumps come in all shapes and sizes, the sound and volume of noise they make varies between models and manufacturers. Fortunately, due to government regulations, a heat pump shouldn’t make more than a low whirring sound providing it is working properly. 

If the noise pollution is 42 decibels or more from the nearest neighbouring property, the installation would need planning permission.  

To put this in perspective, please see below: 

• Breathing: 10 Db

• Bird calls: 40 Db

• Heat pump: 42 Db

• Conversation at home: 50 Db

• Vacuum cleaner: 70 Db

How long does a heat pump work for? 

Typically a heat pump can last between 7-10 years but there are many cases where they have worked for much longer.  Click here to learn more about our hybrid heating solution, including how to get a home survey to assess if hybrid heating is right for you.

What is the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)? 

The RHI scheme was introduced for homeowners in England, Wales and Scotland by the government in 2016 as part of their commitment to reduce the UK's carbon emissions and to become carbon neutral by 2050. 

Once you are successfully enrolled on this scheme you will receive quarterly payments from the government based on the amount of clean, renewable heat that your heat pump produces. These payments are guaranteed for 7 years. 

What is MMSP? 

The government's Meter Monitoring Service Package (MMSP) is a useful way to monitor the ongoing performance of your new heating system, providing you with the peace of mind that the system is working efficiently. 

You can view and monitor performance information about your new heating system via our online portal. Once you have been successfully enrolled onto the government's scheme you will receive £1610 in financial support. 

Is a hybrid heating system suitable for my home? 

Our hybrid heating system is suitable for most homes. Your engineer will be able to confirm if a hybrid heating system would be a suitable addition to your property.  

Customers who currently rely on oil or LPG for their heat, or people using a significant amount of gas to heat their home are likely to save their most on their heating by switching to our hybrid heating solution.  

Will you need to survey my property? 

Yes. As part of your heat pump design stage a trained engineer will visit your home to determine the heat loss of your house along with the best place to locate your system. 

How much space do I need? 

The unit is of a similar size to a washing machine, although the actual size may vary slightly depending on the energy requirements of your properly.  

Ideally, the external unit for your heat pump should be installed somewhere which provides a 1m boundary around it. This ensures that there is a decent flow of air to allow your heat pump to function efficiently. Your installer will visit your home and will determine the best place to position your heat pump.  

Does a hybrid heating system work with my existing radiators? 

Yes. Our hybrid heating solution will work with most average sized radiators. During your home survey, your installer will let you know if any modifications are needed. 

Does a hybrid heating system work with my underfloor heating? 

Yes, underfloor heating works well with our system. Heat pumps are able to emit a continuous flow of heat (around 40°C) and these temperatures make underfloor heating with a hybrid heating solution a great combination. 

What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)? 

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a rating given to your home which summarises its energy efficiency. The home is given a rating between A (Very efficient) - G (Inefficient), the EPC will also include the most cost effective ways to improve your homes energy rating. A valid EPC (within the last two years) is required in order to receive your payments from the government. 

What is an EPC and do I need a new one? 

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) contains information about a property’s energy use and suggestions on how to make the property more efficient. The EPC tells us heat demand and loss within your house, so we know how much heat you will require and can design a system that is specific to the requirements of your house. 

You can find out if your property has an EPC by entering your postcode on the EPC register website. 

To meet the requirements for installing an air source heat pump, and to take advantage of the current government grants, an EPC must be dated within the past two years and accurately reflect the current layout of your home. 

In order to claim the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), you will need to check if your EPC indicates insulation work is required to bring your home up to the standard needed for RHI payments. If so, you’ll need to have this completed and obtain a new EPC before you can claim RHI. Our heating experts will be able to advise you if this is the case for your property. 

How do I know if I need to get a new EPC? 

You will need a new EPC survey completed if any of the following apply to you: 

• There is no EPC for your home on the EPC register website 

• There is an EPC for your home but it is more than 2 years old 

• Your EPC is less than two years old but you have made changes to the layout and/or energy efficiency measures in your home since the EPC was completed 

• Some older EPC certificates do not contain the information we need on space heating and water heating values and therefore need to be updated 

How do I get a new EPC? 

We work with EasyEPC and Nationwide EPC to ensure you have a quick route to getting an EPC, if you need a new one as part of the survey or installation process. If you have any further questions about whether you’ll need an EPC, request a callback from one of our sales team who can talk you through the process. 

Virtual surveys 

We're doing everything to make sure we operate safely during the Covid-19 situation. In addition to home visits, we now also offer offer virtual surveys. Our experts can assess your home over a video call to let you know whether an air source heat pump can work with your home. 

Home visit surveys and installations 

We've taken the following measures to make sure our home visits and installations can go ahead safely: 

• Before entering your home our engineers will thoroughly wash their hands, and put on gloves and masks if you request it.  

• During the installation we keep up regular hand washing and follow the guidelines of social distancing. 

• After installing, we will thoroughly clean any areas we work in, including wiping down any surfaces we come into contact with using antibacterial wipes. 

If you have any concerns, please get in touch and we can answer any of your questions. 

Learn about Air Source Heat Pumps here. 

Version 1.1 - last updated 27 July 2021 

The terms and conditions for "Free heating for a year" promotion are as follows: 

1. In order to benefit from this promotion, you must meet the following entry criteria: 

1.1. You must enter into a contract to buy a Midea air source heat pump (ASHP) from us. You must have accepted the contract by midnight on 31 August 2021 at the latest. 

1.2. Your contract must be an “assignment of rights” contract. This means that you will sign up to the Ofgem Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme with us as your Registered Investor, and we will take over the long-term income under the RHI in exchange for giving you an up-front discount on the cost of your Midea ASHP. 

1.3. You must have the Midea ASHP installed, by us, no later than 31 October 2021. We will honour the promotion if your Midea ASHP is installed after 31 October 2021 because of a delay that was within our control. 

1.4. You must be a customer of our sister company, Igloo Energy (registered number 09812716), for electricity. You must either have switched to Igloo Energy, or be in the process of switching, by 31 October 2021 at the latest. If your switch does not complete then you will not be eligible for the promotion, because there will be no way to allocate the Rewards to you (see rule 3.3 below). 

2. If you’ve met the entry criteria, we will arrange for Igloo Energy to credit your account with Rewards so that the electricity needed to run your Midea ASHP is free for the first 12 months. Igloo Energy may extend this offer at their discretion. 

3. There are some important conditions on this promotion, as follows: 

3.1. We will calculate how much energy is needed to run your Midea ASHP in the first 12 months when we complete your home survey, before installing the Midea ASHP. We will tell you this amount before you sign the contract for your Midea ASHP. 

3.2. At the same time, we will calculate how much it will cost you to buy this electricity from Igloo Energy. We will use Igloo Energy’s “Pioneer” tariff to make this calculation, using the prices prevailing at the time of the calculation. We will tell you this amount before you sign the contract for your Midea ASHP. 

3.3. Once we have calculated the cost of the electricity needed to run your Midea ASHP for the first 12 months and you have met the eligibility criteria, we will inform Igloo Energy so that they can credit your account with Rewards. Please make sure you read Igloo Energy’s rules for Rewards and Reward Accounts and their privacy policy. 

3.4. Once you are on-supply with Igloo Energy, they will credit your Reward Account with Rewards to reflect the electricity consumption of your Midea ASHP for the first 12 months. This will initially be based on our calculation, but Igloo Energy reserves the right to adjust this from time to time, to reflect your actual consumption. They may also extend the duration of this offer at their discretion. 

3.5. Our calculations, and any adjustments made by Igloo Energy, are final. Neither we nor Igloo Energy are responsible if you use more electricity than calculated, or if Igloo Energy change their prices. 

3.6. Rewards are not redeemable as cash, so you will need to stay on-supply with Igloo Energy until you have redeemed all of your Rewards in order to receive the full benefit of this promotion.

What is the cost of your survey? 

We charge a nominal fee of:- 

• £50 for a virtual survey; 

• £100 for an onsite survey. 

What do you get from the survey? 

Based on the survey we do on your home, we will provide you with your air source heat pump proposal pack which includes: 

• A quotation; 

• A performance estimate (which outlines what you can expect from the system); 

• A floorplan showing radiator and services locations; 

• A contract, detailing our terms of business;  

• An order form;  

• Express request for installation work to commence;  

• A cancellation form – in case you change your mind;  

• A HIES brochure which outlines the consumer protection scheme we have in place.  

 From this pack you will be able to determine: 

•  The system we propose to install; 

• Planned radiator and services locations; 

• Your home’s heat loss assessment; 

• Your existing radiators; 

• The level of insulation at your home; 

• The financial incentives you may be eligible for; 

• An estimate of your total financial benefit with the system. 

 If you choose to purchase an air source heat pump from us, the survey fees you have paid will be refunded as a deduction from the final cost of your installation. 

If wish to cancel the process entirely, your survey appointments, or rearrange, you can do so as long as you have provided us with not less than 48 hours’ notice before the scheduled survey, which ends no later than the earlier of:- 

• the end of the original Cancellation Period of 14 days, pre any waiver of cooling off period; or 

• the date you waived the Cancellation Period as per any cooling off period waiver/start work early instruction you return to us; 

from the date you have paid your survey fee. Outside of that your survey fees are non-refundable. 

If, once the required surveys, have taken place:- 

• we decide your home isn’t suitable for an air source heat pump, we will refund you any survey fees you have paid; 

• if you decide not to proceed, any survey fees you have paid are non refundable. 

What do you need for a virtual survey? 

• Floor plan of your house. 

• An energy performance certificate no older than 2 years as at the date of survey. 

• Height and width of your radiators. 

• Zoom downloaded. 

What do you need for an onsite survey? 

• An energy performance certificate no older than 2 years as at the date of survey. 

• A floor plan provided in advance is always helpful but not a necessity for it to go ahead. 

Data protection 

You can find details of our privacy policy here  

You can either use the instructions that came with the device or use this video. Note the video shows an older type of heat logger, however the process remains the same.

How to install your heat logger - YouTube

Please place your heat logger on your thermostat, or as close to it as you can. If this is not possible, then place it in the room where you spend most of your time in your home. Avoid placing your logger in direct sunlight or above a heat source such as a radiator or on a mantlepiece.

We will notify you by email when your report is available.

After pairing the heat logger to your smartphone, you should be able to see the temperature and humidity figures with the SensorBlue app. If these turn green and change value, the device is successfully collecting data. If they do not turn green and change value, make sure Bluetooth is switched on and that the heat logger is within the Bluetooth range of your smartphone.

The video below shows you how to send the data from the SensorBlue app to Igloo, step-by-step. If you have any difficulties, the FAQs below should help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyuFTheVkP0&feature=youtu.be

Please email the CSV data file to research@igloo.energy.

Open the SensorBlue app and tap on the temperature or humidity figure once it has turned green. The heat logger will synchronise with your smartphone and display the data it has collected.

If you have any questions, please email research@igloo.energy.

You can withdraw from the project at any time, by simply sending an email to research@igloo.energy. Please note if you withdraw before the 31st March 2022, you will not be entered into the £1000 prize draw.