Renewable Heat Incentive is a good start

The UK's best loved and iconic cooking and heating company, AGA Rangemaster, says the Government's newly announced £860million Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a good start towards the wider take up of renewable energy by homeowners. Although details of the actual payments and tariffs won't be confirmed until 2012, the company will continue investing in technology and working with its customers to deliver energy efficient and controllable appliances which can work easily with renewable energy.

AGA Rangemaster, which has recently launched both solar hot water and solar electric systems to complement its range of woodburning range cookers, boilers and stoves, has already invested £10million in exhaustive research to ensure that its famous cast‐iron appliances powered by oil, gas or electricity, are able to play their part in using renewable energy. The company's approach complements the Government's initiative to shift the type of heat we use and the financial incentive provided by the RHI will help accelerate the installation of renewable heating in place of fossil fuels.

William McGrath, Chief Executive, AGA Rangemaster is sure that the scheme will be a success. He said: "The volatility of oil prices, especially in recent days, has led many people to look for ways of gaining some independence in their fuel supply. Over recent years, we have seen an enormous surge of interest from our customers in generating energy from renewable sources - from solar hot water and electricity to woodburning and biofuel. The RHI, when it is fully up and running, will make choosing renewables like our solar or Eco‐Connect systems an even more logical and sound investment for our customers - whether they have an AGA or Rayburn cast‐iron appliance or a Rangemaster, Falcon or Mercury range cooker."

From July the Renewable Heat Incentive will mean up to 25,000 installations will be supported by a RHI Premium Payment to help people cover the purchase price of green heating systems - this is expected to be around £300 per unit for solar thermal systems. Those taking up the Premium will then be eligible for a RHI tariff from October 2012 when the Government's Green Deal begins, as will anyone else who has had eligible equipment installed from July 2009. Full details of the Premium Payment and how to apply will be announced by the Government in May 2011 and the tariffs will be consulted on later in the year.

AGA Rangemaster's renewable energy products come under its AGA Rayburn Home Energy Management banner, including its award‐winning Eco‐Connect system. Eco‐Connect makes it easy to link together a wide variety of other energy sources with your chosen solar system including air source or ground source heat pumps, biomass, wood logs and pellets. Whether the homeowner wants to incorporate a traditional boiler with a wood burning stove, or an oil‐fired Rayburn with a heat pump, with Eco‐Connect they will be able automatically draw energy from any of the renewable sources, without the need to worry about continually altering controls, and offset their use of energy derived from fossil fuels.

To underpin the company's commitment to energy efficiency, Rangemaster is proud to be the first cooker brand certificated and recommended by The Energy Saving Trust. This accolade recognises Rangemaster's entire collection of dual fuel and induction range cookers as the most environmentally conscious available on the market today. Leading the way in energy saving, particularly with induction technology, Rangemaster fulfilled a wide range of specific testing criteria to receive this commendation.

AGA Rangemaster is a leading international premium consumer brands group which manufactures and distributes some of the best known and loved kitchen appliances and interiors furnishings in the world. Brands include AGA, Rayburn, La Cornue, Rangemaster, Falcon, Grange and Fired Earth. Known for its longstanding heritage, technical excellence and innovation, the Group now operates production facilities in the UK, USA, France, Canada and Ireland and has worldwide wholesale and retail distribution.