Quality assurance at heart of new £2 billion green homes grants

Builders, plumbers, and other tradespeople across England will need a government-backed seal of approval to provide their services as part of the new £2 billion Green Homes Grant going live at the end of September.

The new scheme will see the Government fund up to two thirds of the cost of home improvements of over 600,000 homes, supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction.

Tradespeople must register for TrustMark or MCS accreditation to take part in the scheme, which will cover green home improvements ranging from insulation of walls, floors and roofs, to the installation of low-carbon heating, like heat pumpsor solar thermal – measures that could help families save up to £600 a year on their energy bills.

The Government is today setting out further details of the range of measures included and how consumers in England will be able to claim the new vouchers, which are worth up to £5,000 for homeowners. Households on low income can receive vouchers covering 100% of the cost of the improvements, up to a maximum of £10,000.

Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said:

“Green home improvements will save people money on their energy bills, help to cut carbon emissions, and create new work for many thousands of builders, plumbers and other tradespeople.

“Our TrustMark scheme will guarantee that building work is completed to a high standard by accredited tradespeople, ensuring consumers are fully protected.”

TrustMark is the Government-endorsed quality scheme covering work a consumer chooses to have carried out on their home. Households will be able to choose from approved tradespeople in their areas to carry out the work, but only approved and accredited installers will be able to be commissioned, ensuring high standards and consumer protection.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said:

“The Green Homes Grant is a vital part of our plan for jobs as we secure the UK’s economic recovery from Coronavirus. This is going to be a green recovery with concern for our environment at its heart.

“It will help to protect and create jobs, while also saving people money and cutting carbon.”

The Green Homes Grants will give homeowners, including owner occupiers and social/private landlords, vouchers to install one or more of the following:

• Solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation;
• Air source or ground source heat pump; or
• Solar thermal.

In addition, households can use their voucher for further energy saving measures. These include one or more of the following:

• Double or triple glazing/secondary glazing, when replacing single glazing;
• Upgrading to energy efficient doors; and
• Hot water tank/appliance tank thermostats/heating controls.

Later this month, homeowners across England will be able to access advice and support on improving the energy efficiency of their homes from the Simple Energy Advice (SEA) service. SEA will suggest appropriate home improvements that homeowners may be able to apply for support in funding.

Households will be offered a list of approved TrustMark and MCS registered tradespeople in their local area to carry out the work. Once the works are agreed, vouchers will start to be issued from the end of September so work can commence.

For example, if a homeowner of a semi-detached or end-terrace installed cavity wall and floor insulation, costing around £4,000, the homeowner would pay just £1,320 – with the government paying £2,680. Doing so could save the owner over £200 annually on their bills and reduce their carbon footprint by cutting 700 kg of CO2 a year from their home alone.

Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust, Mike Thornton, said:

“The Green Homes Grant is a significant investment by the government in energy efficiency which will provide long term benefits to householders and the environment by cutting fuel bills and reducing carbon emissions. It will particularly help low-income households access much-needed funds to make their homes warmer. I would really encourage homeowners to apply for the scheme.”

The funding will mean warmer homes for 600,000 households, with those on low income who are owner occupiers and in receipt of income-based or disability benefits, getting 100% subsidy up to a maximum government contribution of £10,000.As part of this package, £500 million will be earmarked specifically to support low-income, fuel poor households, including those living in rented accommodation.

Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, Brian Berry, said:

“The Green Homes Grant is a really welcome boost for the building industry as it recovers from the impact of COVID-19. The vouchers will be a significant benefit to households wanting to make their homes more energy efficient and reduce their energy bills, whilst providing much needed work for accredited installers at this difficult time.”

Chief Executive of TrustMark, Simon Ayers, said:

“Consumer confidence is not only essential to the recovery of the UK’s economy, but also to the protection and creation of key jobs that will support the long-term delivery of quality green home improvements.

“That’s why having TrustMark accredited tradespeople will provide households with the confidence they need that those working on their homes have been thoroughly vetted for technical competence, customer service and trading practices.”

Heating buildings accounts for almost a fifth of UK greenhouse gas emissions and reducing carbon dioxide from homes will be essential to reaching net zero by 2050.

The Government’s wider green package, announced earlier this month by the Chancellor, also includes an additional £1 billion programme to make public buildings, including schools and hospitals across the UK more energy efficient. An additional £50 million will pilot innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale.

Editors notes

• As part of the scheme, available measures are split into “primary” and “secondary” categories. Households are required to install at least one primary measure, listed below, to qualify:
• • Insulation: Solid wall, cavity wall, under-floor, loft, flat roof, room in roof, park home.
  • Low carbon heat: Air source heat pump, ground source heat pump, solar thermal
  • “Top ups” are allowed (e.g. additional loft insulation up to the recommended level, solid wall insulation for other walls where a wall has been previously insulated), but replacements are not included.
• So long as there is at least one primary measure in the package of works, households will also be able to install secondary measures.
• Secondary measures can only be subsidised up to the amount of subsidy provided for primary measures. (e.g. if a household receives £1,000 for primary measures, they can only receive a maximum of £1,000 towards secondary measures).
• Secondary measures include:
• • Draught proofing
  • 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)
  • Heating controls and insulation: 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.
• Eligibility for the main scheme:

o All owner-occupied homes (including long-leaseholders, shared ownership)

o Landlords of private rented sector domestic properties

o Landlords of social sector domestic properties (including LA owned homes)

o Park home owners (for residential sites including Gypsy and Traveller sites)

o New-build domestic properties and non-domestic properties are not eligible.

• To qualify for the low-income grant, you must be in receipt for at least one of the following:

o Income based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)

o Income based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

o Income Support (IS)

o Pension Guarantee Credit

o Working Tax Credit (WTC)

o Child Tax Credits (CTC)

o Universal Credit (UC)

o Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

o Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

o Attendance Allowance

o Carer’s Allowance

o Severe Disablement Allowance

o Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

o Contribution based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)

o Contribution based Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

o Housing benefit

• Since being established in 2005 TrustMark has been instrumental in enhancing levels of consumer protection in a range of industry sectors. TrustMark serves to enhance consumer protection and choice, providing peace of mind and confidence. TrustMark registered businesses have been thoroughly vetted to meet required standards. TrustMark offers a range of remedies to give further protection to consumers.
• All heat pump installers must be registered with MCS in order to carry out work under the Green Homes Grant. They can do so here.
• £500 million of the £2 billion will be administered by local authorities across England through the Green Home Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme. Local Authorities will be able to bid for funding to support low-income households in their area.