The Green Homes Grant Extension

The Green Homes Grant allows homeowners and residential landlords in the UK to apply for a voucher which will go towards the cost of installing energy efficient improvements to your home. These improvements can include insulation in order to reduce energy usage, installing low-carbon heating and more.

With applications opening in September this year, and the original end date set as March 2021, homeowners were given only 6 months to apply and have works complete. The extension to March 2022 has been widely welcomed, offering an extra year to make improvements and use the government scheme. The scheme has been set to help up to 600,000 households in the UK make their home more energy efficient. The scheme is a part of the 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and aims to help the UK reach its target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The treasury has said that households could make an average annual saving of up to £600 on energy bills through improvements made under the scheme. There is a list of Specific criteria for which you can claim a grant for. This includes insulation, heating, double & triple glazing and draught proofing along with renewable energy features such as heat pumps and solar panels.

Renovations must increase the energy efficiency of a property in order to match criteria, and the government will fund up to two thirds of the cost (up to £5,000) and 100% of the cost up to £10,000 for households on a low income. Note: Newbuilds and non-domestic properties are not eligible for the grant.

The £2 billion scheme offers a great opportunity for landlords to add value to their property long-term and increase the properties appeal to tenants in an increasingly eco-conscious society while also reducing energy bills and extra costs. This scheme will also help any landlords who are affected by the EPC rating expectation changes which come into effect from April 2025. From this date rental homes must have an EPC rating of grade C or higher (it is currently set at F/G or higher).