Green Homes Grant

make energy improvements to your home

If you’re a homeowner or residential landlord you can apply for a Green Homes Grant voucher towards the cost of installing energy efficient improvements to your home.

Improvements could include insulating your home to reduce your energy use or installing low-carbon heating to lower the amount of carbon dioxide your home produces.

You must redeem the voucher and ensure improvements are completed by 31 March 2022.

How much you can get

Vouchers will cover two-thirds of the cost of eligible improvements, up to a maximum government contribution of £5,000.

If you, or someone in your household, receive certain benefits you may be eligible for a voucher covering 100% of the cost of the improvements. The maximum value of the voucher is £10,000.

Eligibility

You may be eligible if you live in England and:

• you own your own home (including long-leaseholders and shared ownership)
• you own your own park home on a residential site (including Gypsy and Traveller sites)
• you’re a residential landlord in the private or social rented sector (including local authorities and housing associations)

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

If you’re claiming other grants or funding:

Energy Company Obligation (ECO)

You cannot claim a Green Homes Grant voucher towards the cost of a measure which has also had funding under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). You can claim both ECO and Green Homes Grant as long as they are each for different measures – for example loft insulation and cavity wall insulation.

Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

You can claim both the Domestic RHI and the Green Home Grant for a renewable heat installation. You must claim the Green Home Grant voucher first and then notify Ofgem that you have used it when you apply for accreditation to the Domestic RHI. The Green Homes Grant will then be deducted from your Domestic RHI payments.

If you’re only claiming the Green Homes Grant voucher for energy efficiency measures you do not need to notify Ofgem.

Local Authority Delivery Scheme

You cannot apply for the scheme if you have already received a grant from your local authority as part of the Local Authority Delivery Scheme.

If you’re a landlord:

State aid

The Green Homes Grant counts towards the total de minimis state aid you’re allowed to get over a 3 year period. You must check that you will not exceed the de minimis state aid threshold of €200,000.

Energy efficiency standard

Most private rented properties must have a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E under the minimum energy efficiency standard.

If you’re applying for a voucher for a private rented sector property, you need to either provide:

• proof that you have met this standard
• proof of an exemption

If you’re a tenant

Although you cannot 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 voucher can be used for

We recommend that you seek advice on how best to improve the energy efficiency and heating in your home.

You can use the Simple Energy Advice (SEA) website to check what energy efficiency or low carbon heating improvements may be best suited to your home.

You can also seek advice from your property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or from a retrofit assessor. You cannot claim for the cost of any advice as part of your grant.

Home improvements

The available measures are split into ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ measures.

PRIMARY MEASURES

The voucher must be used to install at least 1 primary measure.

Insulation

The following insulation measures are covered by the voucher:

• 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

The following low carbon heating measures are covered by the voucher:

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

SECONDARY MEASURES

If you install at least 1 primary measure, your voucher can be used to help cover the cost of any of the following secondary measures.

The amount you get towards the cost of secondary measures cannot exceed the amount you get for primary measures.

You will only be able to redeem vouchers for secondary measures once you have installed a primary measure and redeemed the vouchers for that measure.

Windows and doors

The following measures are covered by the voucher:

• draught proofing
• double or triple glazing (where replacing single glazing)
• secondary glazing (in addition to single glazing)
• energy efficient replacement doors (replacing single glazed or solid doors installed before 2002)

Heating controls and insulation

The following measures are covered by the voucher:

• hot water tank thermostat
• hot water tank insulation
• heating controls (such as, appliance thermostats, smart heating controls, zone controls, intelligent delayed start thermostat, thermostatic radiator valves)

What the voucher covers

Costs that are covered by the voucher include:

• labour
• materials
• VAT

Additional works will be covered by the voucher if they are necessary for the installation of measures.

Work cannot be completed by yourself, a member of your household or your immediate family.

All work covered by the voucher must be completed by a TrustMark-registered installer who is also registered for the scheme. Your installer will also need to meet PAS and MCS standards when installing your measures.