01404 549770 Get a free quote
Green Homes Grant FAQ

What is the Green Homes Grant?

The Green Homes Grant is a government scheme where homeowners can apply for vouchers to cover up to two thirds of the cost of qualifying energy-efficient or low carbon home improvements.

The grant encourages the installation of two main primary measures: insulation (to improve the fabric and efficiency of the building) and low carbon heating systems, which includes air and ground source heat pumps and solar thermal.

The maximum value of the voucher received is £5000, or £10,000 for households on lower incomes. The grant is available until 31st March 2021.

Am I eligible for the Green Homes Grant?

To qualify for the Green Homes Grant you must:

  • Own your home in England or be a private or social landlord
  • Be installing a qualifying energy-efficient measure into an existing home (improving your existing property, rather than building a new house or extending)
  • Use a local installer that is TrustMark accredited and also MCS certified, if using the grant for a heat pump or solar thermal system. You can find your local installer on the Simple Energy Advice website

How to maximise the Green Homes Grant and the Renewable Heat Incentive

If you are considering an air or ground source heat pump, it’s possible to receive both the Green Homes Grant and the full Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Here’s how…

1. Start by checking your property’s insulation

For a heat pump to work efficiently, it’s essential that the property is well-insulated. Taking a fabric first approach, starting by looking at your insulation, will ensure that the heat pump can run comfortably at lower temperatures, effectively heating your home whilst keeping running costs low.

2. Use the Green Homes Grant to upgrade your insulation

Solid wall, under floor, cavity wall and loft insulation are all qualifying home improvements under the Green Homes Grant. Depending on the advice found on your property’s EPC or through the Simple Energy Advice website, you could use the grant to cover improvements to your insulation, ensuring it is well suited to a heat pump.

3. Apply for the Renewable Heat Incentive for the heat pump

Now your home is ready for an air or ground source heat pump, you can apply for the RHI. Because you will have used the Green Homes Grant to install insulation, it will not reduce the amount you receive from the RHI.

This fabric first approach means that you can benefit from up to £5000 from the Green Homes Grant for improvements you were likely to make and the full RHI heat pump tariff over a 7-year period!

It’s also possible to use the Green Homes Grant to reduce the upfront cost of installing a heat pump. In this scenario the value of the voucher received for the Green Homes Grant will be reclaimed from the RHI payments, reducing the amount you receive.

E.g. if a Green Homes Grant voucher of £4000 is received to install a heat pump, you will save that amount on the upfront costs and your RHI payments will then be reduced by £4000.

Cost of ground source heat pump

How to Apply for the Green Homes Grant

In order to apply for the Green Homes Grant Scheme you need to:

  • Use the Simple Energy Advice website to check if you are eligible for the scheme and which energy-efficient or low-carbon heating improvements are suitable for your home.
  • Choose a local installer that meets the grant’s requirements. The Simple Energy Advice website provides a list of tradespeople in your area.
  • Apply for your Green Homes Grant voucher from the end of September 2020 onwards.
  • Once you have confirmation that your voucher application has been accepted, the installer/company you have chosen to provide your energy-efficient measures will deduct the voucher from your quote. They will then request and receive payment from the government for the costs covered by the voucher.

More information on the Grant and terms and conditions can be found on the government website.

NIBE Air Source Heat Pump

FAQ’s

Is the Green Homes Grant available if I am building my own home or extending?

No, the scheme is in place to improve existing buildings so excludes new builds and extensions. Find out more about who is eligible for the scheme.

How can I claim the Green Homes Grant?

In order to claim the Green Homes Grant you must first check if you are eligible for the scheme, you can then begin to gather quotes for your chosen measure/s.
Find out more about how to apply for the Green Homes Grant.

Can I claim the Green Homes Grant alongside the RHI?

Yes, the Green Homes Grant can be claimed alongside the Renewable Heat Incentive. There are two ways of doing this:

  1. You can use the Green Homes Grant to help fund improvements to the insulation in your home. If installing a heat pump, you can then apply for the RHI and benefit from the full tariff payment over 7 years. This allows you to maximise both government incentives to create a more efficient, low-carbon home.
  2. You can use the Green Homes Grant to reduce the upfront cost of installing a heat pump. With this option, your RHI payments will be reduced by the amount received for the Green Homes Grant.

Find out more about how the Green Homes Grant affects the RHI scheme.

Does Nu-Heat install systems that qualify for the Green Homes Grant?

Although Nu-Heat is MCS and Trustmark accredited, the rules of the scheme require the whole cost of design, supply and installation to be contained on one quote and invoice, and because of the way we trade that’s something that we can’t do.

If you would like a Nu-Heat system as part of the Green Homes Grant, you should ask your local TrustMark and MCS accredited installer to provide you with a quote for one of our systems, or alternatively we may be able to put you in touch with MCS or Trustmark installers that we work with.

How much could I get through the Green Homes Grant?

This depends on the energy-efficient or low carbon measure/s that you decide to install and your income. Most households are eligible for up to £5000, with those on low-incomes able to claim a maximum of £10,000. Find out more about Green Homes Grant vouchers.

Do I have to apply for the Green Homes Grant before installation?

Yes. You should apply for the grant before committing to installing any measures so that you know whether you are eligible and how much you will receive. Find out more about applying for the Green Homes Grant.

More about Nu-Heat

Nu-Heat’s underfloor heating, heat pump and solar thermal experts share product information, insights and industry knowledge.

More from the blog