The new Green Homes Grant will give over 600,000 homeowners in England up to £10,000 to install insulation, heat pumps, draft proofing and more to help households cut energy bills.
The new scheme will see the government fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements of over 600,000 homes, supporting over 100,000 jobs in construction.
The new vouchers are worth up to £5,000 for homeowners in England and cover measures that could help families save up to £600 a year on their energy bills. Households on low income who are owner occupiers and in receipt of income-based or disability benefits can receive vouchers covering 100% of the cost of the improvements, up to a maximum of £10,000. As part of this package, £500 million will be earmarked specifically to support low-income, fuel poor households, including those living in rented accommodation.
Builders, plumbers, and other tradespeople across England will need a government-backed seal of approval to provide their services as part of the new £2 billion Green Homes Grant going live at the end of September. Tradespeople must register for TrustMark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation to take part in the scheme. TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme covering work a consumer chooses to have carried out on their home. Households will be able to choose from approved tradespeople in their areas to carry out the work, but only approved and accredited installers will be able to be commissioned, ensuring high standards and consumer protection.
Heating buildings accounts for almost a fifth of UK greenhouse gas emissions and reducing carbon dioxide from homes will be essential to reaching net zero by 2050.
The government’s wider green package, announced earlier this month by the Chancellor, also includes an additional £1 billion programme to make public buildings, including schools and hospitals across the UK more energy efficient. An additional £50 million will pilot innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale.
What is available?
The Green Homes Grants will give homeowners, including owner occupiers and social/private landlords, vouchers to install:
- a solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation;
- an air source or ground source heat pump; and/or
- solar thermal.
In addition, households can use their voucher for further energy saving measures. These include one or more of the following:
- double or triple glazing/secondary glazing, when replacing single glazing;
- upgrading to energy efficient doors; and/or
- hot water tank/appliance tank thermostats/heating controls.
How do I apply?
Later this month, homeowners across England will be able to access advice and support on improving the energy efficiency of their homes from the Simple Energy Advice (SEA) service. SEA will suggest appropriate home improvements that homeowners may be able to apply for support in funding.
Households will be offered a list of approved TrustMark and MCS registered tradespeople in their local area to carry out the work. Once the works are agreed, vouchers will start to be issued from the end of September so work can commence.
For example, if a homeowner of a semi-detached or end-terrace installed cavity wall and floor insulation, costing around £4,000, the homeowner would pay just £1,320 – with the government paying £2,680. Doing so could save the owner over £200 annually on their bills and reduce their carbon footprint by cutting 700 kg of CO2 a year from their home alone.