The Green Homes Grant gives homeowners in England vouchers to help cover the cost of energy efficient improvements to their home – such as low carbon heating systems, insulation or double glazing to replace single glazing.
For most, the vouchers will be worth about two-thirds of the cost of the energy efficient improvements, up to a maximum of £5,000 per household. If you are a private tenant your landlord can apply.
However, if you’re on a low income or certain benefits, you can get vouchers of up to £10,000 to cover the entire cost of installing the measures. (Homeowners only)
Qualifying benefits: income-based/contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-based/contribution-based employment and support allowance, income support, pension ‘guarantee’ credit, working tax credit, child tax credit, universal credit, disability living allowance, personal independence payment, attendance allowance, carer’s allowance, severe disablement allowance, industrial injuries disablement benefit and housing benefit.
Vouchers must be used to install at least one primary home insulation, (solid wall, under floor, cavity wall, loft, flat roof, room in roof), or low carbon heating measure.
If you install at least 1 of these, your voucher can also be used to help cover the cost of any of the following secondary measures: draught proofing, double/triple glazing (where replacing single glazed windows), secondary glazing (in addition to single glazing), external energy efficient doors (replacing single glazed or solid doors installed before 2002), heating controls or hot water tank thermostats and insulation. This can only be up to the same value as the primary measure.
All work must be completed within 6 months (by the end of March 2021) so if you want to take advantage of this scheme you need to do so as soon as possible.
There is now a Government website where you can find all the infomation and apply for a Green Homes Grant
Simple Energy Advice has lots of information as well as tools to help you check eligibility and find accredited tradespeople: www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk Or you can call them on 0800 444202.
Alternatively, if you want to chat to Valerie about this – call 0748 3333 115 or email valerie@caringtogether.org.uk