When this scheme was live homeowners and landlords across England could apply for a voucher to contribute towards the cost of installing energy efficient and low-carbon heat improvements to properties, which would have helped households to save up to £600 a year on energy bills. The Green Homes Grant was a short-lived £2 billion scheme that helped to improve the warmth of qualifying households and work in line with the government’s aim to meet its target of zero carbon by 2050.
If a valid application was submitted before 5 pm on 31st March 2021, the government would offer a voucher that covered up to two-thirds of the cost of adding qualifying improvements to your home. The maximum value of the voucher was £5,000.
You might have been able to get a higher level of subsidy if you were a homeowner and either you or a member of your household was claiming one of the eligible benefits, covering 100% of the cost of the improvements. In these cases, the maximum value of the voucher could be £10,000. Landlords were not allowed to apply for the low-income part of the scheme.
Local Authorities in England also had support available for low-income households in their area through the Green Homes Grant: Local Authority Delivery.
What improvements could you get through the scheme?
Vouchers have to be used to fit at least one primary home insulation or low carbon heating measure. If you opted to install at least one primary measure, you could have used your voucher to help cover the cost of the secondary measures.
The subsidy for the secondary measure had a cap at the value of the subsidy given for the primary measures. For instance, if you were provided with £400 for a primary measure like cavity wall insulation, you would have been able to get a maximum of £400 for a secondary measure like an energy efficient replacement door.
Primary measures
Insulation:
Low carbon heat:
- Air source heat pump
- Ground source heat pump
- Solar thermal
- Biomass boilers
Secondary measures
Windows and doors:
- Draught proofing
- Double/triple glazing (when replacing single glazing)
- Secondary glazing (as well as single glazing)
- Energy efficient replacement doors (replacing single glazed doors that were installed before 2002)
Heating controls and insulation:
- Hot water tank thermostats
- Hot water tank insulation
- Heating controls (such as smart heating controls, zone controls, intelligent delayed start thermostat, and thermostatic radiator valves)
Who was eligible for a Green Homes Grant?
To be eligible for a Green Homes Grant you had to meet the following criteria:
- Your home had an EPC energy efficiency rating of D, E, F, or G
- Your household income was below £30,000 or someone in your household was claiming a means-tested benefit like Universal Credit, Income Support, and others.
Applying for a Green Homes Grant
As mentioned above, applications for this scheme closed on 31st March 2021. If you applied for a voucher prior to this closing date your application will still be processed as normal. You will have a confirmation email if your application was successful. If you have already been provided with a voucher, you can still use it to get your installation done. Keep in mind the voucher will have an expiration date so be sure to use it before it runs out.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
When the Green Homes Grant was running, you would not have been able to claim its subsidy vouchers towards the cost of a measure that has also received funding through the ECO4 scheme. However, you could have claimed both ECO and Green Homes Grant subsidies as long as they were for different measures, such as loft insulation and cavity wall insulation.
Despite the Green Homes Grant scheme now being closed, the ECO scheme is running and will provide a beneficial alternative to anyone who had shown interest in the GHG scheme. Find out more about the latest iteration, ECO4, and see if you qualify for a grant through the scheme today.
