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Help for landlords on maximising use of Green Homes Grant Scheme

A property specialist at Perrys Chartered Accountants has issued new advice for landlords on how they can reap the benefits of rate new Green Homes Grant Scheme.

The grant allows landlords and owner-occupiers to apply for a voucher from the government towards the cost of certain energy efficiency and low carbon heating improvements to homes. 

The voucher will cover two thirds of this cost up to £5,000 or - for households on low incomes or receiving certain benefits - the entire cost up to £10,000. However, landlords can only apply for costs up to £5,000.

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In this Q&A, Donna McCreadie, a property specialist at Perrys, outlines how landlords can optimise their use of this grean.

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Q:  What work can be carried out on my property as part of the Green Homes Grant?

A: Work covered by the scheme is broken down into two parts - primary measures and secondary measures. Homeowners will need to undertake at least one primary measure in order to qualify.

Primary measures are classified as follows:

- Installing insulation in a solid wall, cavity wall, under the floor, in a loft, in a flat roof, in a room in roof or in a park home

- Improving low carbon heat via the installation of an air source heat pump, ground source heat pump or solar thermal

- ‘Top ups’ are allowed. For example, the installation of additional loft insulation to meet the minimum recommended level or the installation of solid wall insulation for other walls where a wall has been previously insulated. However, replacements are not included

Secondary measures cannot be subsidised for more than the amount of cost to carry out the primary measure. For example, if a household receives £1,000 for primary measures, they can only receive a maximum of £1,000 towards any secondary measures.

Second measures including the following:

- Draught proofing

- Updating windows and doors: double/triple glazing (where replacing single glazing), secondary glazing (in addition to single glazing), upgrading to energy efficient doors (where replacing doors installed prior to 2002)

- Updating heating controls and insulation. These include appliance thermostats, hot water tank thermostats, hot water tank insulation, smart heating controls, zone controls, delayed start thermostat, thermostatic radiator valves

- For low-carbon heating to be installed, households will need to have adequate wall insulation e.g. cavity wall or solid wall insulation, and, where applicable, loft insulation. These can be installed as part of a package – they do not have to already be in situ.

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Q: Which companies accept the Green Homes Grant voucher?

A: Under the terms and conditions of the voucher, homeowners will need to use one of the TrustMark certified tradespeople listed on the government’s directory of approved installers.

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Q: How do I apply for a Green Homes Grant?

A: If you are a homeowner or landlord visit the Simple Energy Advice’s (SEA) website to find out if you’re eligible for a voucher. Here, you can also access further information and get advice about what improvements will be suitable for your property.

In order to carry out work under the scheme, all tradespeople and businesses will need to be certified to install energy efficiency or low carbon heat measures to relevant standards and must register their certification.

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

  • Andrew McCausland

    The problem is not how to access the system, it is very simple, it is getting qualified tradesmen to complete the work. There are simply not enough companies who are both PAS2030 and Trustmark qualified to deliver this in the timescale allowed.

    It is an excellent scheme with many benefits for home owners and the environment. It would now be prudent for the government to extend the deadline for completion beyond 31 March 2021, especially in light of the second lock down.

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    I have always found Government Green Deal Schemes to be a waste of time and money. With the last one, tradesmen had to pay for green deal leads so the best local tradesmen avoided the scheme and the guys who came to quote were largely cowboys and inflated their quotes to include the referral fee and negate the value of any grant available.

    Government should leave all markets alone as their interference is usually counter productive.

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    This is a pointless article - if you haven't already got your quote and your tradesman booked you have no chance of accessing the Green Homes Grant.

    This whole policy is all 'Fur Coat and No Knickers'! It makes the Govt look good but costs nothing because no one can access it!

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    These grants are a total waste of time.

     
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