Daikin UK is calling for the Government to double the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) funding currently available to claimants, following the decision to postpone the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme until spring 2014.
During the extension of the RHPP (announced on 26 March) the company says it would like to see available funding increased from £850 to £1700. This would demonstrate the Government's commitment to encourage significant uptake of air source heat pumps as a renewable technology, it says.

Managing director of Daikin UK, Peter Verkempynck, welcomed the extension of funding under the RHPP scheme but said: 'A higher financial incentive is immediately needed to encourage the take up of renewable heating technologies to meet energy targets.'

To date, the number of households taking advantage of the scheme has been very low. During the first phase of RHPP in 2011, a total of 1,837 households claimed funding towards their air source heat pump installations. In the second phase last year only 1,260 households claimed the grant.

The Government has set a target of 15% of the UK's energy supply to come from renewable sources by 2020. To make this a realistic proposition, Daikin UK believes, much more needs to be done now.

The RHPP funding extension will be available for households until the end of March 2014 for air-to-water heat pumps, ground or water source heat pumps and biomass boilers where households currently rely on oil, liquid gas, solid fuel or electricity. Funding for solar thermal technology is also available.
 

Daikin UK is also seeking clarification that all RHPP installations will qualify for the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme which has now been delayed until spring 2014. It would like the Government to recommit that the RHI tariff will be available to all qualifying installations since 15 July 2009, even if they have received the RHPP. This, it said, would send a clear message to those who have already committed to renewable technologies from an early stage that they will not miss out on the future financial reward.