Your guide to the Green Homes Grant

Have you finished your self-build project but are seeking ways to create a more energy efficient home with lower running costs?

Thanks to the launch of the Green Homes Grant, homeowners can receive funding to help pay for the cost of energy saving measures.

As part of the recovery from COVID-19, the government is keen for homeowners to help tackle climate change by carrying out work that will reduce their energy bills and cut carbon emissions. More than 600,000 existing homes are set to become more energy efficient and the government says the grants could help to support more than 100,000 jobs.

The scheme is due to open at the end of September 2020 and will allow homeowners in England up to £5,000 of vouchers (£10,000 for the lower income households).

What’s in it for homeowners?

Who doesn’t want to inhabit a warm and comfortable home that supports our wellbeing? The launch of the Green Homes Grant could be the ideal opportunity to turn cold, draughty and inefficient properties into better places to live.

Find out more about what the Green Homes Grant means for comfort and wellbeing here.

The grants will cover green home improvements including insulation of walls, floors and roofs, the installation of double or triple glazing when replacing single glazing, and low-carbon heating. According to the government, these measures could help families save up to £600 a year on their energy bills. What’s not to like about that?

What does the Green Homes Grant cover?

The grant has been split into primary and secondary measures. You can spend vouchers on these primary measures:

Solid wall, underfloor, cavity wall, loft, room in a roof, park home or flat roof insulation
Air source or ground source heat pump
Solar thermal
Biomass pellet boilers

The secondary measures are made up of the following:

Double or triple glazing, or secondary glazing, when replacing single glazing
Draught-proofing
Replacing and upgrading energy efficient doors
Hot water tank thermostats
Hot water tank insulation
Heating Controls (Smart heating controls, zone controls, intelligent delayed start thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves)

If you already have primary measures in place, you can apply for the grant to help improve them. You must apply for at least one primary measure as part of the Green Homes Grant to be eligible for funding for the secondary measures.

Get the most out of the scheme with Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain is committed to creating great living spaces that improve daily life and they have a range of high performing solutions that are eligible for the Green Homes Grant scheme.

Saint-Gobain Insulation UK brands Celotex and Isover can provide thermal insulation from loft or flat roof insulation, to room in the roof, floor and wall insulation. Find out more about their solutions here. Saint-Gobain Weber can help with upgrades to the thermal properties and the aesthetics of your home with an external wall insulation system, you can find out more about this here.

But it doesn’t end there. Saint-Gobain brand British Gypsum will support contractors and retrofit installers with training to meet the Trustmark standard which is necessary to be able to complete work under the scheme. Find out more here.

How do I apply?

Energy Savings Trust Chief Executive, Mike Thornton, urged homeowners and landlords to go online to fill in a five-minute survey to see how energy efficient their homes are, and where improvements can be made. Once completed, they will receive a personalised energy plan as a first step to getting the grant.

Who will carry out the work?

You’ll need to find accredited tradespeople to get quotes from to carry out the work. Only experienced and vetted traders approved under the Trustmark scheme can carry out the home improvements.

The Simple Energy Advice website offers homeowners access to fully accredited tradespeople in their area able to carry out the work needed, so they can get quotes ready for when the vouchers become available.

If this all sounds up your street, you’ll need to act swiftly as you must redeem the voucher and ensure improvements are completed by 31 March 2021.