What does the Green Homes Grant Scheme Mean for Your Renovation?

If you have been waiting to make some much-needed improvements to your home, now could be the time. The Government has recently launched a Green Homes Grant Scheme designed to support homeowners in creating warmer, healthier homes. In the process, the goal is to reduce carbon emissions and give a boost to the economy by providing tradespeople with more work. 

What is the Green Homes Grant Scheme?

The 2020 Green Homes Grant is a scheme designed by the government which offers homeowners in England the financial support to make improvements to their home’s energy efficiency. A govt.uk press release recently outlined the multiple purposes of the scheme, including:
- Helping homeowners reduce their energy bills by up to £600 a year
- Aiding homeowners in achieving high-quality home improvements 
- Supporting England’s green construction industry
- Reducing carbon emissions
The scheme offers homeowners up to £5,000 in vouchers to make energy-efficient home improvements - low-income earners can receive up to £10,000. To ensure quality workmanship and consumer protection, the work must be carried out by registered TrustMark or Microgeneration Certified tradespeople.
In the press release, Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma states,
“Green home improvements will save people money on their energy bills, help to cut carbon emissions, and create new work for many thousands of builders, plumbers and other tradespeople.”

What does the Green Homes Grant Scheme cover?

The government has stated that almost one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK are the result of heating up buildings. With this in mind, the scheme aims to create warmer homes by offering grants for the installation of:
Primary measures (at least one of these measures must be installed to qualify for secondary measures)
Insulation (wall, roof, ceiling, loft, etc.)
Low-carbon heating (air source heat pump, ground source heat pump, solar thermal)
Secondary measures (can only be subsidised to the amount that was provided on primary measures)
- Draught-proofing
- Replacing single glazing with double or triple glazing
- Energy-efficient door upgrades
- Heating controls for hot water tanks/appliance tanks

Who is eligible for the Green Homes Grant Scheme?

The grant is being offered to homeowners within England, including owner-occupiers, landlords and park homeowners. The voucher will cover one or more improvements, with low-income earners being able to receive vouchers for up to 100% of the home improvement costs (up to £10,000) if they are a park homeowner or owner-occupier. 
For further guidance on low-income eligibility, see The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Eligibility for low-income scheme.

How can I apply for the Green Homes Grant Scheme?

Voucher issuing will begin toward the end of September and the government will provide further advice on the voucher application process within the month of September. Until then, you can begin the energy-efficiency enquiry process through the Government Endorsed website Simple Energy Advice.  

Does Refresh work with TrustMark accredited tradespeople?

When working with you on any energy-efficiency projects under the Green Homes Grant Scheme, Refresh will find the right TrustMark accreditor to carry out your project to a high standard. 

How can Refresh help me to make my home more energy efficient?

Refresh’s speciality is providing high quality, low-stress renovations. We’ll talk your home’s needs through with you in a free initial consultation and can follow this up with an energy efficiency assessment. From there, we’ll work with you to create a renovation plan that suits your home and budget - whether this includes cavity wall insulation, installing double glazing or taking care of a larger construction project. You can sit back and relax while our highly experienced team implements these healthy lifestyle solutions into your home. 

Get in touch

If you would like to discuss your home renovation plans in a free consultation, please get in touch today.
*All information is believed to be true at the time of publication and is subject to change.