· Green Homes Grant opens for business 30 Sept to help homeowners upgrade their homes and save up to £600 a year on their energy bills
· tenants also benefit from the new measures, with consultation launched on upgrading private rental properties by 2028 as well as new scheme for social housing
· new work will be created for accredited tradespeople in green construction, supporting 100,000 jobs across the UK
· £3 billion plan to upgrade buildings an essential part of building back greener from coronavirus and reaching net zero emissions by 2050
Starting today, homeowners can sign up for big savings on upgrades to their homes under the government’s £2 billion Green Homes Grant, with an additional £1 billion announced to improve the energy efficiency of publicly owned buildings.
The Green Homes Grant scheme will see the government fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements up to £5,000. Those homeowners with low-incomes, including those on certain benefits, are eligible for a grant covering up to 100% of the cost of works up to £10,000. The scheme will improve the energy efficiency of over 600,000 homes.
Grants will be offered to cover green home improvements ranging from insulation of walls, floors and roofs, to the installation of double or triple glazing when replacing single glazing, and low-carbon heating like heat pumps or solar thermal – measures that could help households save up to £600 a year on their energy bills.
It will cut people’s energy bills and carbon emissions, whilst also supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction for local plumbers, builders and tradespeople across the UK.
Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said:
“Our plan to upgrade the nation’s buildings and help build back better is good news for jobs, the environment and people’s back pockets, as we reduce emissions and help cut energy bills.
“I urge everyone to visit the Green Home Grants website to see how they can make the most of this fantastic scheme.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:
“We promised to support jobs and protect the environment – and the Green Homes Grant delivers on this. We’re giving homeowners, landlords and local authorities the funding they need to hire local tradespeople and make our homes more energy efficient. By supporting the green van men and women, we’ll save money, save jobs and save the planet.
“£500 million of the of the Green Homes Grant scheme has been assigned for local authorities to provide green home improvements for households with an income of under £30,000.
“Tenants will also benefit from the government’s plan to boost energy efficiency thanks to proposals for the private rental sector, published today. The improvements will be achieved by raising the energy performance standard of privately-rented properties, with landlords having to ensure homes meet Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C requirements.
“These could save nearly 3 million homes an average of £220 a year on their annual heating bills and lift up to 900,000 low income households out of fuel poverty. The plans could also support 90,000 jobs in the energy sector annually.
“Costs will be capped at £10,000 and landlords can take advantage of the Green Homes Grant to fund the necessary improvements. The private rental sector measures are being phased in to limit the disruption to both landlords and tenants, with improvements having to be implemented for new tenancies from 1 April 2025 and for all tenancies by 1 April 2028.”
Today’s energy efficiency plan forms part of the government’s wider efforts to ensure the UK meets its legally binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and build back greener from coronavirus.
The Green Homes Grant website is open for applications: www.gov.uk/GreenHomesGrant
Andrew Dakers, CEO, West London Business said:
“In West London we particularly draw home owners attention to the services of Work Work Ltd based in Barnet as a local provider of TrustMark certified retrofit services for over a decade. Work Work are working closely with our local colleges, Barnet & Southgate and West London College as well as JCP to ensure that the Green Homes Grant means more skilled jobs for local people.”
Kevin McCloud, presenter of Grand Designs, editor-at-large of Grand Designs magazine and front man for Grand Designs Live:
“I’m pleased to see that the government-led Green Homes Grant initiative is leading the drive towards a green approach to home retrofits. This is an ethos that I, through Grand Designs, have personally championed for 2 decades, and I am delighted that Grand Designs magazine and BEIS are partnering to help make it happen.”
Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive, Energy UK:
“Building back better can begin at home. Improving the energy efficiency of our houses makes them healthier and more comfortable to live in and can cut hundreds of pounds a year off bills – all while reducing emissions and creating jobs. It shows how a green recovery focused on net zero can benefit the environment, the economy and customers.”
Simon Ayers, Chief Executive of TrustMark – the government endorsed quality scheme:
“Today marks a pivotal moment in not only our industry’s recovery but our journey to reducing carbon emissions and being net zero by 2050. The Green Homes Grant is an important step in protecting and creating jobs across the energy and construction sectors and the time for innovation and development is now. Through the Green Homes Grant, we can collectively play a vital role in the delivery of lower carbon properties, with reduced energy costs and healthier and more comfortable living conditions for the occupiers.”
