On 8 July 2020, the Chancellor announced a new £2 billion Green Homes Grant for England, which will go live at the end of September this year.
As part of the wide-ranging scheme, the government will fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements, including buy to let properties, up to a maximum of £5,000.
This is great news for landlords, particularly those who may have wanted to make improvements but not been able to afford to do so, and also for tenants, who will benefit from warmer homes and lower utility bills.
The funding will be in the form of vouchers that are then exchanged for the services of government-approved tradespeople. Originally suppliers were to be either registered with TrustMark and accredited by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), to ensure the work is of a high standard and consumers are protected although changes have been introduced, since the scheme was launched, that state that sub- contractors are no longer required to be registered with Trustmark. Certification is, however, still required.
In order to qualify for the vouchers, the works must include some element of insulation or low carbon heat installation, such as:
- Solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation
- An air or ground source heat pump
- Solar thermal
A voucher can then be requested for further measures, including:
-
Replacement of single glazing with double, triple or secondary glazing
-
Upgrading to energy efficient doors
- Hot water tank or appliance thermostats/heating controls
You will be able to apply from the end of August via the government’s Simple Energy Advice website by completing an online form and providing a quote from a listed supplier. Once the works are approved, you should receive the voucher from the end of September.
This grant scheme is expected to result in improvements to more than 600,000 homes, while supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction.
Full information can be found on the GOV.UK website.
PLEASE NOTE - Applications to the Green Homes Grant scheme closed on 31 March 2021. See government website here
Blog Updated on 06/01/2021 and 01/04/2021
The Reeds Rains Content Marketing Team
