Household Bills
More than 20,000 apply for Green Homes Grant scheme
Nearly 21,000 applications have been made under the government’s Green Homes Grant voucher scheme, offering up to £5,000 to make homeowner and landlord properties more energy efficient.
As of 4pm yesterday, 20 October, the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme had received 20,903 applications since launch on 30 September.
Kwasi Kwarteng, minister of state for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said the applications “reflect the high levels of consumer interest in the scheme”.
He added the applications are currently being processed and checked for compliance with the scheme rules.
However, consumer site MoneySavingExpert said the scheme is a “massive flop” with just one in six homeowners or landlords who apply being able to find a registered installer or tradesperson.
It comes after founder, Martin Lewis, ran a Twitter poll asking followers if they had applied for, or were considering applying for the Green Homes Grant.
Wellness and wellbeing holidays: Travel insurance is essential for your peace of mind
Out of the pandemic lockdowns, there’s a greater emphasis on wellbeing and wellness, with
Sponsored by Post Office
He was met with a raft of complaints about being unable to find installers to carry out the works ahead of the March 2021 deadline, and they were unhappy about the “overcomplicated nature of the scheme”.
BEIS, in response, said it is working closely with industry to ensure there are enough installers to meet demand.
“Over 1,000 companies have signed up so far with more registering every day, including many businesses that operate nationally with substantial capacity to carry out work across the country,” a spokesperson added.
Green Homes Grant scheme
The Green Homes Grant scheme was announced in the Summer Budget in July as part of a £3bn investment package to support about 140,000 green jobs and upgrade buildings and reduce emissions.
Homeowners in England, including landlords, can get up to £5,000 to pay part of the cost of energy saving measures such as the ‘primary measure’ of insulation, including solid and cavity walls, lofts and park homes. Click here to find out more.
Alternatively, vouchers are available for low carbon heat measures such as solar thermal and biomass boilers or for ‘secondary measures’ including draught proofing, double/triple glazing, external energy efficient doors, heating controls and hot water tank thermostats and insulation.
The vouchers can fund up to two thirds of the work done. For example, a household getting £6,000 worth of energy improvement work done could get a voucher for £4,000.
Low income households can get 100% of the costs of work covered up to £10,000.
To apply for a voucher, visit the government’s Green Homes Grant website. Here you’ll be able to check if you’re eligible, see what improvements you could make to your home and the estimated cost, before finding an approved installer.
You must redeem the voucher and ensure improvements are completed by 31 March 2021.
See the YourMoney.com Green Homes Grant scheme guide for more information.