Applications for £5,000 home improvement voucher open today

30 September 2020, 11:36

The new Green Homes Grant could give homeowners up to £5,000 in vouchers for insulation and double glazing.

Homeowners in England will be able to apply for a grant of up to £5,000 to improve insulation in their houses as of today, Wednesday September 30.

The Green Home Energy Grant scheme was unveiled by chancellor Rishi Sunak back in July, and will see the Government put aside £2 billion for green home upgrades.

Those who are eligible can use vouchers to help pay for environmentally friendly improvements such as loft, floor and wall insulation, double glazing and draught-proofing.

The idea is that the Government will pay the costs of at least two thirds of the work up to a maximum of £5,000, while most households will pay the remaining third themselves.

Low income households can receive vouchers covering 100% of the costs, up to a maximum of £10,000.

If you get a voucher, you'll need to have completed the work by 31 March 2021, which leaves a six-month window.

These green improvements could help cut energy bills, with thousands of families having to use less gas and electricity to heat their houses.

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Homeowners and landlords, either social or private, in England can apply.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t cover homes in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

To apply for a grant or check if you’re eligible, you can visit the Simple Energy Advice website.

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What do the green vouchers cover?

To qualify for any financial support, you'll need to be installing at least one "primary" improvement, which include:

Insulation, including solid wall, cavity wall, underfloor, loft or roof insulation.

Low carbon heating, such as air-source or ground-source heat pumps, or solar thermal systems, which provide renewable ways of heating your home.

If you're installing at least one of the improvements above, you'll also be able to use the vouchers to install ‘secondary’ measures including:

Draught-proofing

Double or triple glazing, or secondary glazing.

Energy efficient doors

Heating controls and insulation.

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