Green Homes Grant: make energy improvements to your home (closed)
The Green Homes Grant voucher scheme provided grants to homeowners and landlords to make energy efficient improvements to homes.
Applies to England
The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme provided grants to homeowners and landlords to make energy efficiency improvements to homes.
The Green Homes Grant scheme is closed
The scheme closed to applications on 31 March 2021 and vouchers can no longer be redeemed.
How much you could get
Your voucher covered up to two-thirds of the cost of your chosen improvements, with a maximum government contribution of £5,000.
If you, or someone in your household, receives certain benefits, your voucher may cover up to 100% of the cost of your chosen improvements. The maximum overall government contribution is £10,000.
Eligibility
If you submitted an application for a voucher by 31 March 2021, you may be eligible for a voucher if:
- 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 voucher for newly built homes which have not been previously occupied.
If you’re claiming other grants or funding
Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
You could not claim a Green Homes Grant voucher towards the cost of a measure which has also had funding under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). You could 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 could 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.
Local Authority Delivery Scheme
If you had already received a grant from your local authority as part of the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, you were not eligible for a Green Homes Grant voucher.
If you’re a landlord
State aid
The Green Homes Grant counted towards the total de minimis state aid you’re allowed to get over a 3 year period. You must have checked that you will not exceed the de minimis state aid threshold of €200,000.
Energy efficiency standard
If you applied 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
What the voucher could be used for
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 were 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 were 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.
You cannot use the voucher to repair secondary measures you already have installed in your property.
Windows, doors, insulation and draught proofing
The following measures were covered by the voucher:
- draught proofing
- hot water tank insulation
- double or triple glazing (where replacing single glazing)
- secondary glazing (in addition to single glazing)
- external energy efficient replacement doors (replacing single glazed doors, or doors installed before 2002)
If you already have these measures installed in your property, you cannot use the voucher to remove or replace them.
Vouchers for eligible doors were limited to a maximum government contribution of £1,000 per door. This can be averaged across all the doors on an application.
You cannot use the voucher to install a garage door that lets vehicles in and out of a garage. However, you can use a voucher for an external door that connects a garage to your property.
Heating controls and insulation
The following measures were 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)
You can use the voucher to replace heating controls and hot water tank thermostats if the replacement is for a different type and is intended to improve energy savings. For example, you can replace a manual thermostat with a smart thermostat.
What the voucher covers
Costs that were 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.
Getting the voucher
You will receive a separate voucher for each of the measures that you have applied to install.
Each voucher is only valid for the measure and property you have applied for. The voucher is only for use by the named applicant and cannot be transferred to another person.
You can only begin work once your voucher has been issued. Any work that was started before that date cannot be claimed.
Vouchers issued up to 31 August 2021 will be valid for 3 months from the date they are issued.
All work must be satisfactorily completed and the voucher redeemed by the expiry date.
Voucher extensions
We recognise that occasionally circumstances may arise that are fully beyond your control. In such a situation please contact the scheme administrator as soon as possible to assess if a short extension could be considered (subject to exceptional circumstances).
You should include your relevant voucher reference(s) when contacting the scheme administrator. You may be asked to provide additional information to support your request.
Getting the work done
Once your voucher has been issued, you can begin the work.
Your installer may ask you for a deposit. It cannot be larger than your expected contribution to the cost of measures under the quote they have provided you.
If you have applied under the low-income scheme, your installer can only ask you for a deposit when the total cost of the work exceeds the £10,000 grant. In this case, only the excess amount will be eligible for a deposit.
After the work is done
Once the work is completed, your installer must give you:
- a dated copy of an invoice showing the supply and installation cost of your chosen measures (you must have 1 invoice per measure)
- any certification for energy efficiency improvement measures
- a guarantee document from the installer
- an MCS certificate and relevant manufacturer instructions (if you have installed a low carbon heating measure)
- a Biomass Suppliers List (if your measure is a biomass fuelled low carbon heating system)
Redeeming the voucher
You had to redeem your voucher before it expired.
You needed to confirm that:
- the installation was completed satisfactorily
- you have received the necessary certification documents from the installer
- you have paid your share of the costs to the installer (if applicable)
When you redeem your voucher the grant will be paid on your behalf directly to the installer.
Updates to this page
Published 28 August 2020Last updated 19 July 2021 + show all updates
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We have added information about how to change your voucher once it has been issued.
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We have added further information on how to request an extension to your voucher.
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You can no longer apply for a Green Homes Grant voucher. If you applied for a voucher before the closing date, your application will still be processed and we will be in touch to confirm if your application is successful. If you have already been issued a voucher, you can still use it to get the work done.
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The Green Homes Grant scheme will be closing to new applications at 5pm on 31 March 2021.
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The scheme has been extended by 1 year to 31 March 2022.
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Updated with details of how to redeem a voucher.
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Updated to clarify that Green Homes Grant installers can continue to work in people's homes under the National Restrictions from 5 November.
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We will start to issue vouchers to customers from early November 2020.
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You can now apply for a Green Homes Grant.
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The document providing information on items that are and are not covered by the voucher has been updated.
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First published.