Green Home Grant update

The vouchers will pay for at least two thirds of all eligible improvements up to a maximum value of £5,000, they will become available to homeowners and landlords in late September.

Lower income households will not have to pay towards the improvements and will instead be eligible for vouchers of up to £10,000 however they will need to be in receipt of certain benefits to qualify.

Green Home Grant Low-income eligibility criteria

You qualify for the Green Home Grants low-income scheme if you are in receipt of at least one of the following benefits:

• Income based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)

• Income based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income Support (IS)

• Pension Guarantee Credit

• Working Tax Credit (WTC)

• Child Tax Credit (CTC)

• Universal Credit (UC)

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

• Attendance Allowance

• Carer’s Allowance

• Sever Disablement Allowance

• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

• Contribution based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)

• Contribution based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

• Housing benefit

In order to claim the vouchers you must install one energy efficient improvement from the below list:

• Air Source Heat Pump

• Ground Source Heat Pump

• Insulation: Solid wall insulation, Cavity wall insulation, under-floor insulation, loft insulation, flat roof insulation, room in roof insulation, park home insulation

• Solar thermal

If one of the above is installed you may apply for a voucher on a secondary energy saving measure:

• Smart heating controls, zone controls, thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)

• Hot water tank insulation

• Hot water tank thermostat or appliance thermostat

• Double glazing, triple glazing or secondary glazing (only when replacing single glazed)

• Energy efficient doors (when replacing doors installed pre-2002)

• Draught proofing

Additional top-up insulation is also available if you do not already have the recommended amount, they cannot be used to replace existing insulation.

The vouchers will cover two thirds of the installation cost for an energy-saving measure listed above up to a maximum of £5,000. For example, should you choose to have an air source heat pump fitted, you would most likely receive the full £5,000 funding as an air source heat pump will cost over £7,500 to install.

For cheaper energy saving measures such as insulation, if the insulation were to cost £4,000, you would pay £1,320 whilst the government would provide a voucher for the additional £2,680.

Secondary insulation measures can only be subsidised up to the amount of subsidy provided for the primary measure. (e.g. if a household receives £1,000 for a primary measure, they can only receive a maximum of £1,000 towards secondary measures).

The application process has yet to be announced.

The Government has ensured that only accredited tradespeople can be involved in the scheme, giving households the confidence that any improvements they choose to install in their homes will be done to the highest quality.

Any installer carrying out works for the Government’s Green Home Grant must be registered with either TrustMark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharm said:

“Our TrustMark scheme will guarantee that building work is completed to a high standard by accredited tradespeople, ensuring consumers are fully protected.”