The Government has outlined further details on their Green Home Grant voucher scheme.

 

 

Under this scheme the Government will provide grants covering 2/3 of home improvements costs to make your homes more energy efficient. Vouchers worth up to £5,000 (£10,000 for lower income households) will be issued to homeowners in England (won't cover homes in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) under a new Government scheme that launches in September. You'll have to apply for a voucher once the scheme is up and running in September. You'll then be able to spend it to improve your home.

People who qualify for the low-income scheme must receive at least one of the following benefits:

-Income based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)
-Income based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
-Income Support (IS)
-Pension Guarantee Credit
-Working Tax Credit (WTC)
-Child Tax Credits (CTC)
-Universal Credit (UC)
-Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
-Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
-Attendance Allowance
-Carer’s Allowance
-Severe Disablement Allowance
-Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
-Contribution based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)
-Contribution based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
-Housing benefit

 

This scheme is for homeowner to pay for environmentally friendly improvements such as installing loft, floor and wall insulation or replacing single glazing with double-glazing.

All homeowners, including social/private landlords, will be able to apply for vouchers towards the cost of one or more of the following (either for new installation or improvement, not to replace existing installations):

-Solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation
-Air source or ground source heat pump
-Solar thermal

 

Only if you are installing at least one of the improvements mentioned above, only then you will be able to use the vouchers to install any of the following: 

-Double or triple glazing, or secondary glazing. However, note, you will only be eligible for this if you currently have single glazing. It is not to replace your current double glazing.
-Draught proofing
-Replacing doors installed before 2002 to more energy efficient ones.  
-Heating controls and insulation, including appliance thermostats, hot water tank thermostats, hot water tank insulation, smart heating controls, zone controls, delayed start thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves.

 

Any Also the amount of grant you can receive for any of the above (secondary improvements) is limited to the amount of grant you have received for your receiving for the primary improvements.

So, if you've received £1,500 towards solid wall and roof insulation, the maximum you can get for any of the secondary measures (i.e. Double glazing) is £1,500.

Vouchers are to be issued from the end of September and issues once work is agreed with one of the approved TrustMark and MCS registered tradespeople.

Homeowners can apply for advice and support from the Simple Energy Advice service (SEA) on how to go about making their homes more energy efficient. They will assist in suggestion on potential home improvements for which you can use this grant for,

For more information, please click here

 

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