On 8th July, the Chancellor announced the introduction of The Green Homes Grant in England to encourage homeowners to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes. Homeowners and landlords can take advantage of this scheme from the end of September 2020 with up to £5,000 or £10,000 in vouchers available to go towards making these energy-saving, heat-saving and money-saving improvements. We reveal all you need to know about the grant and which improvements you could be making to your home.
Eligibility
The Green Homes Grant is widely available to homeowners and landlords in England. To be eligible for the voucher, you must either:
● own your home including park home owners, long-leaseholders and shared ownership
● be a private or social landlord
The scheme applies for houses in England and does not apply for new builds that have not previously been occupied.
What improvements are covered by the scheme?
The Green Homes Grant covers a variety of energy-efficiency measures, funding two-thirds of the cost. The measures are divided into “primary” and “secondary” measures. Households must install at least one of the primary measures to qualify for the grant and secondary measures are covered by the voucher up to the amount of subsidy provided for primary measures.
As of Monday 4 January 2021, any subcontractors working on these measures do not have to be TrustMark registered and PAS or MCS certified, but they must carry out work in accordance to the relevant PAS or MCS requirements.
A full list of measures can be found below.
Primary measures include:
Insulation:
● Solid wall
● Cavity wall
● Under-floor (solid floors or suspended floors)
● Loft
● Flat roof
● Room in roof
● Park home
Low carbon heat (where the home is suitably insulated):
● Air source heat pump
● Ground source heat pump
● Solar thermal
Secondary measures include:
Windows and doors:
● Draught proofing
● Double/triple glazing (where replacing single glazing)
● Secondary glazing (in addition to single glazing)
● Energy efficient replacement doors (replacing single glazed or solid doors installed before 2020)
Heating controls and insulation:
● Hot water tank thermostats
● Hot water tank insulation
● Heating controls e.g. smart heating controls, zone controls, intelligent delayed start thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves
What improvements are NOT covered by the scheme?
As with any installation project on the home, there is a chance you will find unexpected additional costs or issues along the way. The Green Homes Grant also identifies a list of associated costs that are not covered by the grant.
Professional services that are not linked to a retrofit or changes to the home that are not linked to energy-efficiency improvements are not covered by the voucher. You also cannot use the voucher for replacing or repairing a boiler, insulation on a new extension, or insulation in a conservatory with no fixed heating.
Read more about what the scheme does and does not cover here
It is also important to note that subcontractors must carry out work in accordance with the relevant PAS or MCS requirements with regards to subcontracting.
How to choose which measures you need
With so many energy-efficient home improvements available to choose from, you may be unsure of which measures are relevant for your home and will generate the best outcome for you. The Simple Energy Advice service is Government endorsed advice to help you plan your home improvements according to whether you would like to reduce your energy bills, make your home warmer, make your home more environmentally friendly or find advice based on your home address.
How to apply
1. Find out what home improvements can be made to your home with the Simple Energy Advice website. You can take a questionnaire to find out if your household is eligible for the scheme.
2. Use the SEA website to find your local tradespeople suited to carry out your desired home improvements and take quotes from at least three people.
3. From the end of September 2020, you can apply for the voucher.
Be sure to commit to a contract for the home improvements after you have confirmation that you will receive a voucher.
The work should be scheduled to be completed by 31 March 2021, subject to the terms of the voucher.
Find more ways to improve the energy-efficiency of your home here.
