Green Homes Grant scheme: quality assurances welcomed

The Green Homes Grant scheme was announced by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, in his summer economic update in July. It was part of a £3bn package designed to boost the green economy and to help make houses more energy efficient.

Under the scheme which will begin from the end of September, the government will fund up to two-thirds of the cost of improvements to over 600,000 homes thereby supporting more than 100,000 jobs in green construction. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have provided further details of the mechanics of the scheme.

Householders and landlords can apply for vouchers, worth up to £5,000, which will leave their outlay just one third of the cost of the home improvements. Applicants on low-income can receive voucher for the full cost up to £10,000.

To qualify for the voucher, the improvements must include the installation of one or more of:

• Solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation.

• Air source or ground source heat pump.

• Solar thermal panels.

Householders can then also use the voucher on further energy saving measures which include one or more of:

• Upgrading to energy efficient doors.

• Replace single glazing with double or triple or secondary glazing.

• Heating controls/ hot water tank thermostats/ appliance thermostats.

Applicants for the vouchers will be able to receive advice online from the Simple Energy Advice (SEA) service by providing information about their residence in a short questionnaire. SEA recommends the appropriate green home improvement and provides a list of local reputable tradespeople to carry out the work.

All tradespeople on the SEA list must register for TrustMark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation. TrustMark is a government endorsed quality scheme covering work a consumer chooses to have carried out in and around their home. MCS certification covers the renewable technologies included in the BEIS list above.

BEIS’ clarifications should provide assurance that improvements carried out through the scheme will be undertaken by estimable building practitioners. The statement has been welcomed across the building sector and within the green economy.