In July the Government announced homeowners will be able to claim vouchers of up to £5,000 for energy-saving home improvements, with some getting up to £10,000 through the Green Home Grants scheme.
With the Green Homes Grant scheme set to go live the end of this month, here is what we know so far.
The £2 billion Green Homes Grant gives eligible homeowners vouchers to pay for environmentally friendly improvements, but it does restrict what it can be spent on.
How will the Green Home Grants vouchers work?
Restrictions mean that energy efficiency measures permitted under the scheme are being divided into two categories: “primary” and “secondary”.
To qualify for funding to cover secondary measures, you must first carry out one of the primary measures. Funding for the secondary measures is capped at the amount the home-owner claimed for primary improvements. So, if you receive £1,000 Green Homes Grant towards primary upgrades, your grant for any secondary measures will be capped at £1,000.
How much can I get on the Green Homes Grant scheme?
The government will provide a Green Homes Grant voucher that covers two-thirds of the cost of qualifying works to your home. The maximum value of the voucher is £5,000.
If you are on a low income and receive certain benefits, you can receive a Green Homes Grant voucher covering all of the cost of the improvements up to £10,000. Qualifying benefits are:
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Child Tax Credits (CTC)
- Contribution based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
- Contribution based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Income based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)
- Income Support (IS)
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Housing benefit
- Pension Guarantee Credit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Working Tax Credit (WTC)
The installer will request and receive payment from the government for the costs covered by the voucher.
When can I get works done under the Green Homes Grant scheme?
You can apply for the Green Homes Grant voucher from the end of September.
In the meantime, you can find out what improvements can be made to your home and obtain quotes from certified tradespeople such as Source Eco. We provide free quotes and complete the work under the Government scheme.
Remember though, you must redeem the voucher and ensure improvements are completed by 31 March 2021.
What energy efficiency measures are covered by the Green Homes Grant?
The list of primary measures are set out as:
Insulation
- Solid wall insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
- Under-floor insulation
- Loft insulation
- Flat roof insulation
- Room in a roof insulation
- Park home insulation
Low carbon heat (where the home is suitably insulated)
- Air source heat pump
- Ground source heat pump
- Solar thermal
- Biomass pellet boilers
So long as at least one of these primary measure is in the package of works, households will also be able to install secondary measures.
The list of 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
Heating controls and insulation
- Hot-water tank thermostats
- Hot water tank insulation
- Heating controls (Smart heating controls, zone controls, intelligent delayed start thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves)
What home improvements should I do?
The first place to start is understanding whether your home is in need of any of the primary measures. Air source heat pumps and biomass pellet boilers are no doubt improvements most households will not have heard of, let alone understand. Our renewable energy experts can help you. Contact us on info@sourceeco.co.uk
Cavity and solid wall insulation can make a significant difference to the energy efficiency and comfort of your home. We expect these will be popular projects to undertake, alongside loft and other insulations, to stop heat leaking from your home. Again, we can help. Our experienced team provide primary measures.
Once you have identified at least 1 primary measure, your voucher can be used to help contribute to the cost of a secondary measure.
And remember, the amount you get towards the cost of secondary measures cannot exceed the amount you get for primary measures.
Once the works are agreed, vouchers will start to be issued from the end of September online, so work can commence.
Don’t delay, book your Government backed work today. Call us on 07794 477875 Funding is only currently available until March 2021.