The new Green Homes Grant

Residents in England are now eligible for Government funding of up to £10,000 towards the cost of energy efficient home improvements.

The Green Homes Grant 2020 scheme has been launched by the UK Government to provide benefits both to homeowners and the environment as the qualifying improvements will help reduce fuel bills and carbon emissions. The scheme opened in September and is running until March 2021.

Homeowners and tenants on low incomes living in a private rented property can apply for a voucher with a value capped at £10,000 towards the cost of installing energy efficient and low-carbon heating measures if they receive one of a number of benefits.

Landlords and homeowners/tenants not in the low income bracket can claim for up to two thirds of the value of a project, with vouchers capped at £5,000.

The scheme is likely to lead to improvements in more than 600,000 homes.

Grant vouchers must be used to install at least one primary home insulation or low carbon heating measure, featured below.

If you install one of the primary measures, you can use your voucher to help cover the cost of a secondary measure. The grant for the secondary measure is capped at the same value of the grant provided for the primary measure.

Primary measures

• Air source heat pump
• Ground source heat pump
• Solar thermal
• Biomass pellet boilers
• Low carbon heat (where the home is suitably insulated)
• Insulation
• Solid wall
• Cavity wall
• Under-floor insulation
• Loft
• Flat roof
• Room in roof
• Park home insulation

Secondary measures

• Heating controls and insulation
• Heating controls (e.g. smart heating controls, zone controls, intelligent delayed start thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves)
• 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)
• Hot water tank thermostats
• Hot water tank insulation

While you cannot claim Green Homes Grant vouchers towards the cost of a project which has already received funding under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), you can claim both ECO and Green Homes Grant vouchers for separate energy efficiency measures in one home – for example an air source heat pump and loft insulation.

Homeowners who install a renewable energy system are also eligible for the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a financial reward given by the government for installing such a system in their home.

Payments are made every quarter for up to seven years based on the amount of renewable heat made by a domestic system.

MD Alan King said: ‘This is a scheme we very much endorse – anything that leads to more buildings being more energy efficient and reducing the country’s overall carbon footprint has to be a positive move.

‘We would encourage all homeowners to consider applying for these vouchers safe in the knowledge that they will be improving their own energy efficiency – paying less to heat their homes, basically – and playing their part in protecting the environment.

‘An added bonus is this the chance to really lend our support to the push for a green economic recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.’

If you require assistance with your application, please contact us today.