Grants for the Over 60's
Central Heating for the Over 60s
The Scottish Government's Central Heating Programme provides central heating, insulation and advice. It is available to all households in the private sector who lack central heating and where the householder or partner is aged 60 or over. The Programme was extended in May 2004 to include householders (or partners) aged 80 or over who had partial or inefficient central heating systems. The programme has been further extended from 1 January 2007 to include homeowners aged between 60 and 79 and in receipt of the guaranteed element of Pension Credit are now eligble under the scheme if their home central heating is partial or inefficient.
The programme provides the following package of measures:
- A central heating system and advice on how to use it
- Loft, cold tank and pipe insulation; cavity wall insulation; and draughtproofing
- A carbon monoxide detector (except where heating system is electric), a mains-linked smoke detector and a cold alarm
- Advice on best use of energy in the home
- An optional check of entitlement to state benefit
To be eligible, the householder or partner must:
- Be aged 60 or over without central heating, or be aged 80 or over and have partial or inefficient central heating
- Live in Scotland and either own the home where the central heating will be installed; or have a tenancy agreement with a private-sector landlord and have the landlord's written agreement to the work.
- Have lived in the home for at least 12 months before the date of application and expect to live in it for at least 12 months after the work is finished
- Agree to the complete package of measures being installed, if it is possible to do so
- Not have claimed a grant at the same address under the Central Heating Programme
The applicant's home must:
- Be the only or main residence
- Be self-contained; that is, be lived in as a separate unit of accommodation and identifiable as such
- Not have a central heating system or, if there is central heating, it must be completely broken and beyond repair (apart from those aged 80 or over who have partial or inefficient central heating systems)
- Not be affected by any order or resolution which may lead to its demolition
A "central heating system" is defined as a system which provides warmth to two or more rooms through a series of connected radiators or ducts linked to a central boiler, or from a series of electric storage heaters and controlled from one central point.
Under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (Scotland) Regulations which came into effect on 1 January 2007, new arrangements have been introduced to encourage repair rather than replacement where this is cost-effective. Further information is available from
Scottish Gas, Freepost, SCO 4421, Edinburgh, EH6 0BR; or you can telephone them on their freephone number: 0800 316 1653.
