THE audience at an Energy Alton talk tried to get their heads around the Government’s new payments scheme for some forms of renewable energy – the Renewable Heat Incentive.

David Henderson, of Greenmaze Energy Saving Projects in Selborne, talked through the way the incentive scheme works.

He explained that the scheme pays homeowners for each unit of energy generated, from 6.43p per kilowatt hour for biomass boilers and stoves to 19.51p for solar thermal systems that heat hot water.

Other types of technology covered by the scheme are ground source and air source heat pumps. The payments are calculated to enable homeowners to recoup their costs over about seven years.

Choosing one of these sources of renewable energy makes most sense if you do not have a gas connection, you see it as a longer term investment and, for air and ground source heat pumps, you have a well-insulated draught-proof house.

With rising energy costs and stretched supplies, along with concern over climate change, Mr Henderson explained that people will have to consider changing the way they generate and use energy. The government aims to have 12 per cent of domestic heat generated renewably by 2020.

The energy advice desk is open at Alton library on the third Saturday of every month from 10am to noon where Energy Alton volunteers will be on hand to offer tips on how householders can save energy and money.