Only 'Type 1 Eco-Friendly' Products Allowed for Residential Boiler Installation and Replacement

Seoul City Distributes 250,000 Eco-Friendly Boilers ... Manufacturers, Sellers, and Installers to Be Prosecuted for Violations

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 6th that it will crack down on and file complaints against construction companies that have not installed Type 1 eco-friendly boilers for household use, in cooperation with the Civil Affairs Judicial Police Unit.

Starting from the 3rd, with the enforcement of the "Act on Improvement of Air Quality in Air Quality Control Zones," all households in Seoul must replace or newly install boilers only with Type 1 eco-friendly boilers. This measure was taken accordingly.

According to Article 35 of the Air Quality Control Zone Act, anyone who manufactures, supplies, or sells boilers without certification shall be subject to imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW.

Household Type 1 boilers are boilers with an hourly evaporation rate of less than 0.1 tons or a heat output of less than 61,900 kcal (kilocalories) per hour, and must be certified as meeting Type 1 standards. By the end of February, a total of 242 types of boilers from six companies had been certified.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that it has continuously promoted the eco-friendly boiler support project and the mandatory installation to citizens, while also providing prior guidance on the law enforcement to 2,654 boiler manufacturing, sales, and installation companies.

However, considering various distribution methods such as purchasing household boilers from online shopping malls and receiving them via delivery, the city plans to cooperate with city gas suppliers to conduct inspections before supply and crack down to prevent uncertified boilers from circulating in the market.

Additionally, to meet the demand for replacing old boilers with eco-friendly boilers, the city plans to distribute 250,000 eco-friendly boilers this year. Currently, when replacing with an eco-friendly boiler, a subsidy of 200,000 KRW is provided to general households and 500,000 KRW to low-income households.

Kim Ho-seong, Director of the Green Energy Division of Seoul City, said, "Through the mandatory eco-friendly boiler system to reduce fine dust, we can protect the health of citizens and reduce heating costs in each household," adding, "Active participation from citizens and boiler companies is necessary."