The government is offering grants to householders and landlords in England so they can make their properties more energy-efficient.
The £2 billion Green Homes Grant scheme starts at the end of September and the work must be completed by March 31 2021.
How does the Green Homes Grant scheme work?
The government will offer a voucher worth up to £5,000 (up to £10,000 for low-income households) to help to pay for new energy-efficient improvements to a property. The voucher goes directly to the installer from the government, so you only need to cover “your” portion of the costs.
Improvements include measures like extra insulation to reduce energy consumption or low-carbon heating systems such as air or ground source heat pumps.
The grant can’t be used to pay for works that were already underway or for the replacement of insulation or low carbon heating systems already in place.
How much money could I get?
Your voucher will cover up to two-thirds of your costs up to the value of £5,000. The amount you’ll have to pay will vary depending on what you’re installing and you can only install measures from a pre-approved list.
For low-income households, the value of the voucher goes up to £10,000. Landlords can’t apply for the low-income household grant.
What the grant covers
Your voucher will cover at least one of several “primary” measures, which are divided into insulation and low carbon heat measures. You can install as many as you like.
Insulation measures covered by the grant
Solid wall
Loft
Underfloor
Cavity wall
Flat roof
Room in loft or roof
Park home insulation measures
Carbon heat measures covered by the grant
Air or ground source heat pumps
Solar thermal heating systems (either liquid filled flat-plate or evacuated tube collectors)
Biomass boilers
You can install one “secondary” measure if you install one or more primary measures.
Secondary measures covered by the grant
Draughtproofing
Double or triple glazing to replace single glazing
Secondary glazing in addition to single glazing
External energy efficient doors to replace single glazed or solid doors that were installed before 2002
Heating control systems
Hot water tank thermostats and insulation
You can’t “ask” for more money towards secondary measures than you do for primary.
What isn’t covered by the grant
Building a new extension or making a conversion
Insulating a conservatory that has no integral heating
Installing a new fossil fuel (gas, LPG or oil) boiler
How do I apply for the Green Homes Grant?
Head to the Simple Energy Advice (SEA) site to find out what low carbon heating or energy efficiency measures you could make. You can also find the right accredited suppliers and installers on this site; make sure you get at least three different quotes before you decide who to go with.
You can apply for the Green Homes Grant from the end of September.
