Green Homes Grant: How to claim up to £10,000 for energy efficiency improvements

Households in England can apply for vouchers to help with costs of insulation, low-carbon heating and other energy efficiency improvements that could save hundreds of pounds on energy bills each year

 Households could save up to £600 a year on energy bills after making improvements, the Treasury estimates

Homeowners can take advantage of government funding of up to £10,000 to help make properties more energy efficient as part of Boris Johnson's environmental plans announced this week.

The Green Homes Grant launched last September and was due to close for new applications on 31 March but has now been extended until the end of March 2022.

Households could save up to £600 a year on energy bills after making improvements, the Treasury estimates.

So how do you apply and what work is covered by the funding?

Who is eligible?

To claim a voucher for energy efficiency improvements you have to own your home or be a residential landlord in the private or social rented sector.  The scheme covers England. Homeowners in Scotland, Ireland and Wales may be able to obtain funding under separate schemes.

You can't get the Green Homes Grant for newly built homes which have not been previously occupied.

You can't claim the grant for a measure that you have already claimed for under a separate scheme called the Energy Company Obligation but you can claim both as long as they are for different things - for example loft insulation and cavity wall insulation.

There are 600,000 vouchers available.

What about tenants?

If you are a tenant you can’t apply for vouchers. You can use the Simple Energy Advice (SEA) website to check what energy efficiency or low-carbon heating improvements may be best suited for your home.  

You can take the questionnaire and build an energy efficiency plan to send to your landlord.

What the Green Homes Grant voucher can be used for?

Different types of energy efficiency improvement are divided into "primary" and "secondary" categories.

You have to install at least one from the primary list which covers insulation and low-carbon heating:

Insulation:

• solid wall insulation (internal or external)
• cavity wall insulation
• under-floor insulation (solid floor, suspended floor)
• loft insulation
• flat roof insulation
• pitched roof insulation
• room in roof insulation
• insulating a park home

Low-carbon heat:

• air source heat pump
• ground source heat pump
• solar thermal (liquid filled flat plate or evacuated tube collector)
• biomass boiler
• hybrid heat pump

Once you have used the voucher for a primary measure you can claim for secondary measures including draft proofing, double or triple glazing, energy efficient doors and hot water tank insulation.

The amount you claim for secondary measures can’t exceed the amount you claim for primary measures.

You can claim for labour, materials and VAT. You can't claim for work carried out by yourself, a member of your household or your immediate family.

How much can I claim under the Green Homes Grant?

Vouchers cover two thirds of the cost of the work up to a maximum of £5,000. If you or someone in your household receives certain benefits you may be eligible for a grant of as much as £10,000 to cover all of the costs of the work. Check the government website to see if this applies to you. 

Around half of the £2bn earmarked for the scheme is expected to go to low-income households. Landlords aren't eligible for low-income support.

How do I apply?

Once you have decided which improvements to make, the government recommends getting quotes from at least three potential installers. You need at least one quote from a Green Homes Grant registered installer. The quote must be provided when you apply for the grant online via the government’s website.

Be aware that it is not guaranteed that your application will be approved so you may want to hold off on starting the work until the grant is confirmed.

When can I claim?

Vouchers are valid for three months from the date they are issued or until 31 March 2022 (whichever is earlier).  

You can request a voucher extension at any time before your voucher has expired, unless the scheme has been closed.