As we transition to a more sustainable way of living, the UK Government is unveiling new plans to provide thousands of pounds to make homes more energy efficient. The Green Homes Grant scheme was launched on September 30th and is available to homeowners and landlords in England.

This article will guide you through it – so you can see if you’re eligible.

What is the Green Homes Grant?

The Green Homes Grant is a positive step towards improving energy efficiency in our homes – so we can take some pressure off the planet and reduce CO2 emissions. The £2 billion package provides eligible homeowners and landlords low-carbon heating system or insulation grants worth thousands of pounds.

The scheme launched on 30th September and runs until March 2021. The government are hoping up to 600,000 homes will benefit.

The Green Homes Grant provides £2 billion for efficiency improvements and runs until March 2021

Who’s eligible for the Green Homes Grant?

The grant is only available for homes in England and you are eligible if:

• You own your own home (including long-leaseholders and shared ownership).
• You own your own park home on a residential site (including traveller sites).
• You’re a residential landlord in the private or social rented sector (including local authorities and housing associations).

Unfortunately, newly-built properties that haven’t been occupied before do not qualify.

How much money can I get?

You can claim a grant worth up to two thirds of the cost of installation up to a maximum of £5,000. So if installing insulation costs £3,000 total, you pay £1,000 while the government will cover £2,000.

If you are on income or disability benefits, the government could cover the entire installation up to £10,000. However, landlords do not qualify for low-income support.

These grants can go a long way and cover labour as well as materials.

How does the Green Homes Grant work?

Home improvements are split into two types: ‘primary measures’ and ‘secondary measures’.

You must use your voucher to install at least one primary measure first then your voucher can be used to help cover the cost of any secondary measures.

The amount you get towards the cost of secondary measures cannot exceed the amount you get for primary measures – and you’ll only be able to redeem vouchers for secondary measures once you’ve installed the first.

What are the Green Homes Grant primary measures?

The primary measures essentially cover two big ticket items - insulation and low-carbon heating.

These are the insulation measures covered by the voucher:

• 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

And these are the low-carbon heating measures covered by the voucher:

• Air source heat pump
• Ground source heat pump
• Solar thermal (liquid filled flat plate or evacuated tube collector)
• Biomass boiler
• Hybrid heat pump

What are the Green Homes Grant secondary measures?

For windows and doors, you can cover the following with your voucher:

• 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)

For heating controls and insulation, you can cover the following with your voucher:

• 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)

Costs covered by your voucher include labour, materials and VAT.

How do I apply for the the Green Homes Grant?

The Green Homes Grant is a great opportunity to get your home running more efficiently so you can make savings long-term. But remember there are only a few months left to apply for the scheme as it ends on March 31st, 2021.

How can Local Heroes help with installation?

If you do decide to go ahead, Local Heroes has a nationwide network of tradespeople who can do the work for you – and they all abide by the highest levels of service and standards.

Each one is personally vetted by us and any work they do comes with a 12-month guarantee backed by British Gas. Plus you can pay straight through our platform which makes things quick, easy and secure.