Citation and commencement and interpretation

1.  (1)  These Regulations may be cited as the Domestic Energy Efficiency Grants (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 and shall come into operation on 21st March 2014.

(2) In these Regulations "the Principle Regulations" means The Domestic Energy Efficiency Grants Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009(3).

Amendments to the Principal Regulations

2.  The Principal Regulations are amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 8.

3.  In regulation 2 (interpretation) after the definition of "the Department" insert:-

""affordable warmth survey" means a survey of homes identified by the University of Ulster as most at risk of fuel poverty by Census Output Area;".

4.  (1)  In regulation 4(1) (purposes for which grant may be approved) after sub paragraph (a) insert:-

"(aa)to provide insulation in any accessible roof space in a dwelling surveyed in the affordable warmth survey including the insulation of any cold water tank and any water supply, overflow and expansion pipes in such a space;".

(2) In regulation 4(2) after sub-paragraph (f) insert:-

"(g)to replace an inefficient boiler that is over 15 years old;

(h)to service a boiler in a dwelling surveyed in the affordable warmth survey.".

5.  In regulation 5 (persons to whom a grant may be made) after paragraph (5) insert:-

"(5A) This regulation applies to a householder of a dwelling surveyed as part of the fuel poverty survey as if paragraphs (3) and (4) were omitted."

6.  In regulation 6 (maximum amount of grant):-

(a)after paragraph (1) insert:-

"(1A) The Department or its administering agency shall not pay a total amount of warm homes grant in respect of an application qualifying under regulation 4(1)(aa) exceeding £1,500.";

(b)after paragraph (2) insert:-

"(2A) The Department or its administering agency shall not pay a total amount of warm homes plus grant in respect of an application qualifying under regulation 4(2)(g) exceeding:-

(a)£1,000 where the householder's income is less than £20,000;

(b)£500 where the householder's income is between £20,000 and £39,999.

(2B) The Department or its administering agency shall not pay a total amount of warm homes plus grant in respect of an application qualifying under regulation 4(2)(h) exceeding £50.";

(c)in paragraph (2) for "£4,300" substitute "£6,500";

(d)in paragraph (3) for "£6,000" substitute "£8,200".

7.  (1)  In regulation 7 (applications for grant):-

(a)in paragraph (3) for "The application shall contain" substitute "An application qualifying under regulation 4(1) or 4(2) shall contain";

(b)after paragraph (3) insert:-

"(4) An application qualifying under regulation 4(2)(g) shall contain:-

(a)a quotation for the works;

(b)proof of age of the existing boiler; and

(c)a building control certificate.".

(2) This regulation shall not have effect in relation to grants approved under regulations (4)(1)(aa) and 4(2)(h).

Savings Provisions

8.  (1)  Regulation 6 of the Principal Regulations, as that regulation had effect immediately before the relevant date, shall continue to apply to an application for a Warm Homes grant or a Warm Homes Plus grant made before the relevant date.

(2) In paragraph (1) the relevant date means the date of coming into operation of these Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 7th February 2014

Jim Wilkinson

A senior officer of the Department for Social Development

The Department of Finance & Personnel consents to the Regulations

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance & Personnel on 7th February 2014

John McKibben

A senior officer of the Department of Finance & Personnel

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Domestic Energy Efficiency Grants Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 ("the 2009 Regulations") enable the Department for Social Development to make or arrange for the making of grant for the improvement of energy efficiency in dwellings occupied by persons on low incomes with children, elderly persons on low incomes and persons in receipt of benefit relating to ill health or disability.

These Regulations, the Domestic Energy Efficiency Grants (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014, amend the Domestic Energy Efficiency Grants Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 by increasing the limit of the Warm Homes Plus Grant from £4,300 to £6,500 and, where asbestos has been found within a property, the grant limit off £6,000 to be increased to £8,200.