Householders who want to claim back money from a government green heat scheme need to get a move on.

Accountants warn the deadline to claim for putting in any measures such as heat pumps or biomass boilers between 15 July 2009 and 8 April 2014 will come quicker than you think.

Any retrospective applications to the Renewable Heat Incentive not submitted by the deadline of 8 April 2015 will be ineligible.

Shirley Mathieson, Head of Renewables at chartered accountants’ firm Saffery Champness says: “There are certain hoops that need to be jumped through for a claim to be eligible, and these all take time.

“For example homes that had RHI schemes installed during the qualifying period may require certain alterations for a claim to be successful, such as metering being installed.”

She adds: “These steps take time.”