Under the Green Homes Grant scheme, homeowners in England will be able to apply for vouchers worth up to two thirds of the cost of hiring tradespeople to improve the energy efficiency of their home – the maximum contribution will be £5,000, or for those on lower incomes a 100% grant up to £10,000 will be available for certain work. The vouchers will be issued from the end of September.
The government has allocated £2bn to the scheme and is expecting more than 600,000 homes across England to take advantage.
However, to protect house-holders from cowboys and rogue traders, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, which is in charge of the scheme, has said that tradespeople must register for TrustMark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation to take part.
Later this month, homeowners across England will be able to access advice and support on improving the energy efficiency of their homes from the Simple Energy Advice (SEA) service. SEA will suggest appropriate home improvements that homeowners may be able to apply for support in funding.
Grants will be available for:
- solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation
- air source or ground source heat pump
- solar thermal
- double or triple glazing/secondary glazing, when replacing single glazing
- upgrading to energy efficient doors
- hot water tank/appliance tank thermostats/heating controls
The grant scheme is available only until the end of March 2021.
Business and energy secretary Alok Sharma said: “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.
“Our TrustMark scheme will guarantee that building work is completed to a high standard by accredited tradespeople, ensuring consumers are fully protected.”
Chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, Brian Berry, said: “The Green Homes Grant is a really welcome boost for the building industry as it recovers from the impact of Covid-19. The vouchers will be a significant benefit to households wanting to make their homes more energy efficient and reduce their energy bills, whilst providing much needed work for accredited installers at this difficult time.”
TrustMark chief executive Simon Ayers said: “Consumer confidence is not only essential to the recovery of the UK’s economy, but also to the protection and creation of key jobs that will support the long-term delivery of quality green home improvements. That’s why having TrustMark accredited tradespeople will provide households with the confidence they need that those working on their homes have been thoroughly vetted for technical competence, customer service and trading practices.”
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