As part of the government’s ‘mini-budget’ back in July, it announced that it was offing £2bn to households in England to make energy-saving improvements as part of its ‘Green Homes Grant’. The scheme, which officially launched at the end of September, could mean households receive up to £5,000 in vouchers towards their energy-saving improvements. Yet, most importantly you must redeem the voucher and ensure improvements are completed by 31 March 2021.
So what exactly does the scheme entail? Read our guide to find out more and whether you could be eligible.
Who is eligible?
You may be eligible if you live in England and:
- you own your own home (including long-leaseholders and shared ownership)
- you own your own park home on a residential site
- you’re a residential landlord in the private or social rented sector (including local authorities and housing associations)
You cannot get the Green Homes Grant for newly built homes which have not been previously occupied.
How much can you receive?
The vouchers will cover two-thirds of the cost towards your eligible improvements, with a maximum of up to £5,000 government contribution.
However, if you, or someone in your household, receive certain benefits you may be eligible for a voucher covering 100% of the cost of the improvements. In this instance, the maximum value of the voucher is £10,000.
What improvement can the vouchers be used towards?
There are several measures available to improve the energy efficiency and heating of your home. These are split into ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ measures, of which you must install at least one primary measure to be eligible for the scheme.
Primary measures
Under the primary measures tier, the measures cover ‘insulation’ and ‘low carbon heat’.
Insulation
- solid wall insulation (internal or external)
- cavity wall insulation
- under-floor insulation (solid floor, suspended floor)
- loft insulation
- flat roof insulation
- pitched roof insulation
- room in roof insulation
- insulating a park home
Low carbon heat
- air source heat pump
- ground source heat pump
- solar thermal (liquid-filled flat plate or evacuated tube collector)
- biomass boiler
- hybrid heat pump
Secondary measures
As long as you install at least one primary measure then your voucher can be used to help cover the cost of any of the following secondary measures.
Windows and doors
- draught-proofing
- double or 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 2002)
Heating controls and insulation
- hot water tank thermostat
- hot water tank insulation
- heating controls (such as appliance thermostats, smart heating controls, zone controls, intelligent delayed start thermostat, thermostatic radiator valves)
The amount you get towards the cost of secondary measures cannot exceed the amount you get for primary measures.
What the voucher covers
Costs that are covered by the voucher include:
- labour
- materials
- VAT
Work cannot be completed by yourself, a member of your household or your immediate family.
All work covered by the voucher must be completed by a TrustMark-registered installer who is also registered for the scheme. What’s more, your installer will also need to meet PAS and MCS standards when installing your measures.
The government will start to issue vouchers to customers from early November 2020 these will be valid for three months from the date they are issued or until 31 March 2021 (whichever is earlier).
