The Green Homes Grant was officially closed on the 31st of March but there may still be ways to receive financial support for green home improvements.
The UK Government announced the Green Homes Grant scheme last year, which was worth a mammoth £2billion and allowed homeowners and landlords to apply for vouchers to help pay for green home improvements, which included new windows, doors, and insulation.
Unfortunately, by January 2021, only 5% of the allocated budget was claimed. Complex rules, red tape and fears of coronavirus led many people to avoid taking advantage of the scheme altogether.
Online energy platform Boilerbrain, recently reported that help is still available in many forms and even though the Green Homes Grant ended in turmoil, homeowners should not be dissuaded from applying for grants that are still available.
The Government’s targets for a achieving a carbon neutral status by 2050 have not vanished and greener homes remain an important part of the process.
Here are some top tips for anyone looking for support in other funding that is on offer:
Local Authority Funding
The Green Homes Grant funding allocated £500 million to local authorities to help support low income households.
The funding is able to help reduce gas and electricity bills by up to £450 per year for those eligible. The scheme also offers people £5,000 and £10,000 vouchers to help them better insulate their homes.
The funding was allocated to over 500 local authorities in England and Scotland. Contact your local authority to see what you may be entitled to.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Grants
The ECO grant scheme is offered by some of the UK’s biggest energy companies and is part of their obligation to help low-income households.
The scheme provides funding to upgrade their wall insulation and to replace old, inefficient heating system with modern A-rated combi boilers.
In order to be eligible, applicants need to be in receipt of certain benefits.
Typically, it requires having to contribute towards the cost of the upgrades. However, some people will find that the energy company will fund the entire cost of the improvements.
Renewable Heat Incentive
If you are thinking about installing a renewable heating system like a heat pump, biomass boiler or solar, you may be eligible for funding from the government through the renewable heat incentive.
The scheme aims to help support homes that are adopting greener heating methods. The scheme can pay for the full heating system and will also award cash payments quarterly over seven years for the energy you generate.
Making such improvements can also help you save money on your heating bills. The scheme is open until March 31, 2022.
