Key terms explained for the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive

Biomass installations that are first commissioned after scheme launch need to meet the RHI air quality requirements. The air quality requirements set limits on the emissions a biomass installation can produce. Installations affected by these requirements will need to have an RHI Emission Certificate to be eligible for the Domestic RHI scheme. To check whether a biomass product has an RHI Emissions Certificate, search the RHI ECLIST hosted by HETAS (the RHI Emission Certificate listing body). Your installer should be able to help you select a certified biomass product.

In terms of the air quality requirements, you must:

use a fuel type specified on the emissions certificate,

use a fuel that does not exceed the maximum moisture content specified on the certificate, and

operate your heating system in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions in relation to the control of emissions of particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen. Under the scheme, emissions of particulate matter (PM) must not exceed 30 grams per gigajoule net heat output, and emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) must not exceed 150 grams per gigajoule net heat output.

You will need to follow these rules for the duration of the seven year payment period to remain eligible to receive payments. You will also need to declare that you are meeting the air quality requirements on an annual basis. We may ask you to provide evidence of compliance with these requirements. We strongly recommend keeping all fuel receipts, records of transactions or annual statements of fuel purchased for the entire time (seven years) you’re a member on the Domestic RHI scheme.

For more information on how you can meet the air quality requirements see Section 9 ,Chapter 2 and Section 3 Chapter 3 of the Essential guide.

If your application to the Domestic RHI is approved, you will need to declare each year that you comply with the scheme requirements. Your installer may not fill out your annual declaration for you. This is because you are making declarations about your property and heating system, for which you are responsible.

We’ll send you an email when these are due, (or by post if that’s how you applied) with instructions on how to complete them. To ensure your payments are not suspended, you must submit them within 28 days. Please ensure your contact details are up to date.

For more information about your responsibilities once you become a participant see Chapter 3 of the Essential guide. For a list of the annual declarations and information on how to submit them, see our Help sheet: How to complete and submit your annual declarations.

You can't seek approval for a heating system under both the Domestic and Non-Domestic RHI schemes. 

If your property has previously been heated by a Non-Domestic RHI accredited plant, you can’t apply for accreditation to the Domestic RHI scheme for any installation heating the same property. This also applies if you have submitted an application to the Non-Domestic RHI scheme which has been approved but you have subsequently withdrawn that application. However, if you have been rejected under the Non Domestic RHI scheme, you can apply to the Domestic RHI scheme before scheme closure on midnight at the end of 31st March 2022.  
 

Assignment of rights is an option to help householders and organisations access finance to overcome the upfront cost of a renewable heating system. This option allows an investor to assist in meeting the costs of the installation of a domestic renewable heating system for households and/or organisations. Households and organisations are then able to assign their rights to Domestic RHI payments to “nominated” investors.

Applicants must be the owner of the renewable heating system at the application stage and throughout the Domestic RHI membership. Investors aren’t permitted to own any part of a plant for which they will be nominated to receive payments. Both participants and investors will have to comply with their ongoing obligations and responsibilities if accredited onto the scheme.

For more information, see the Guide to Assignment of Rights.

In joining the scheme, participants agree to be subject to audits to verify their eligibility for the scheme and compliance with their ongoing obligations. We select installations for audit based on various factors, including random sampling. Anyone can be selected for an audit check at any time, and checks can happen multiple times.

If we suspect or discover that you’re not complying with your ongoing obligations, or that your installation was accredited based on incorrect information, we have the right to suspend all or part of your payments while we investigate. Once we have concluded the investigation, you will be informed of our decision and any action that will be taken. If we find that a non-compliance has occurred, depending on its severity, we may withhold all or part of your payments, or revoke your installation’s accreditation.

Audits can take place pre-accreditation and post accreditation. Audits can also be desk based or require site visits.

For more information, see Section 10 of Chapter 3 in the Essential guide.