What Now For Energy Efficient Uk Housing
In response to last weeks cancellation, the government is under more pressure than ever to rectify its mistakes, not only in the delivery of the Green Homes Grant programme but also in regard to its cancellation.
Promptly following up from the cancellation announcement, came the £1bn , intended to show willingness to tackle industry sectors. This might go a small way towards pacifying the growing calls for real solid, consistent action on climate change.
They were also quick to come out with a statement saying that an extra £562 million in funding would be released to be sent to local governments and for them to use in implementing their own retrofit schemes. This means 50,000 homes in social housing as well as domestic properties can benefit from additional insulation, heat pumps and solar panels.
Homeowners should be able to enjoy up to £450 of savings on energy bills, whilst green job creation could include 8,000 each year.
Overall the government are still intending on a spend of £9BN so that UK homes, schools and hospitals dramatically reduce emissions.
In a tweet last week Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the UK’s Climate Change Committee admitted that perhaps local delivery should have been the model all along?
It is still yet to be determined in what form or fashion the Green Homes Grant will be replaced, however, if the UK is ever to reach net-zero it is key that the programme, or a similar, more well-implemented version must be relaunched.
Find Out If Your Home Will Benefit
There are various ways to check if your property could benefit from energy-saving improvements:
- talk to a Green Deal assessor or provider
The Green Deal may be right for you if you think your property could benefit from energy-saving improvements.
Get advice about energy-saving improvements to your property over the phone, if you live in England or Wales.
Telephone: 0800 444 202Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Home Energy Scotland
What Has Been The Fallout
The cancellation of the green homes grant voucher scheme prompted the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee to release a statement in their report on Energy Efficiency of Existing Homes, stating,
The impact of botched implementation has had devastating consequences on many of the builders and installers that can do the work, who have been left in limbo as a result of the orders cancelled and time taken to approve applications.
This is a reality that is, unfortunately, hitting home for many in the industry.
Builders and installers are complaining left and right about the way the government has left them out to dry by cancelling this grant scheme.
For one, installers were promised that upon completion of the work, they would be able to cash the vouchers to receive payment from the government. With the grant programme cancelled, many builders have been left in limbo with work they have planned for, budgeted for, and agreed to complete under the promise of receiving payment.
Without the green homes grant, many homeowners will simply be unable to pay for the costs of the installations out of their own pocket.
With work cancelled, installers and builders have essentially seen the bulk of their expected income for the near future essentially evaporate overnight. This has caused many installers to be forced to lay off staff and in some cases even close up shop for the time being.
In a statement released by i news he said,
Read Also: Car Insurance For Federal Government Employees
How Much Funding Is Available Per Property
The average maximum amount of funding spent on any one property does not exceed £10,000.
If youre an owner occupier you wont have to pay a contribution towards the cost of the work. Landlords must contribute a minimum of 1/3 of the total costs of the installation, and the maximum amount of funding available per rental property is £5,000.
The actual amount of funding spent on a property depends on the measure being received, as each measure varies in cost.
Is The Green Homes Grant Means
All homeowners could apply for funding for at least two thirds of the cost of eligible home improvements, up to a total value of £5,000.
Some homeowners qualified for vouchers covering the total cost of home improvements, costing up to £10,000. For this, you needed to receive at least one of the following:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Contribution-based Employment & Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit
Don’t Miss: Where Do You Buy Government Bonds
I Have An Epc For My Property But Have Had Energy Efficiency Works Done Since It Was Issued A New Epc Was Not Issued And I Do Not Know What It Now Is Can I Still Apply
Yes, you can still apply. Please advise the managing agent that you have had works done since the EPC was completed when you apply. The managing agent will carry out modelling to asses if your home is still likely to be EPC D or below. If they believe the property is likely to be EPC D or below and your household income qualifies, you will be able to apply. So please contact the managing agent to check.
Could The Scheme Be Rebooted
Despite reports that the scheme could be renewed in some capacity in the Spending Review, this was not the case. But experts from across the industry have called for vital changes to be made if the scheme, or a similar scheme, is to be launched.
The PAC report said the failure of the scheme had damaged confidence in government efforts to improve energy efficiency in private domestic homes, and David Hilton, director of Heat and Energy Ltd and a contributor to Homebuilding & Renovating, says this will need to be addressed.
“Companies will need to feel confident in investing into a new scheme, and recruiting staff to work on it. It needs to be open to all businesses capable of working on the scheme, and to ensure theyre not left out of pocket to gain accreditation.”
A National Retrofit Strategy
Many industry groups have called for a National Retrofit Strategy to be published by the government to help green up the 28 million homes in the UK. And Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, says this is an ideal long-term strategy to replace the Green Homes Grant.
“We need the government to back a long-term retrofit strategy, to give installers confidence to train and certainty that the rug wont be pulled from under them.
Don’t Miss: Aluguel De Carros Governador Valadares
Introduction Background And Objectives
The Government of South Africa through the Department of Environmental Affairs has set up a Green Fund to support the transition to a low carbon, resource efficient and climate resilient development path delivering high impact economic, environmental and social benefits. The allocation of R800m represents the initial resources available for disbursement by the Green Fund. The DEA has appointed the Development Bank of Southern Africa as the implementing agent of the Green Fund.
Objective of the green fund
The Green Fund aims to provide catalytic finance to facilitate investment in green initiatives that will support poverty reduction and job creation. Importantly, the Fund will only support initiatives which would not have been implemented without its support. The Green Fund is additional and complementary to existing fiscal allocations supporting the transitioning of the South African economy to a low-carbon, resource efficient and climate resilient growth path.
Due to its focus on innovative projects, unless a strong case is made for the coverage of a funding or financing gap, the Green Fund will not support such projects.
The Green Fund will respond to market weaknesses currently hampering South Africas transition to a green economy by:
What Is The Difference Between The Green Home Grant Voucher Scheme And The Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme
The voucher scheme, which closed to new applications on 31 March 2021, was run directly by the Government and the Council was not involved in delivering it. Our Local Authority Delivery scheme started in May 2021 and is open to both homeowners and landlords, and is being administered directly by the Council who will refer you on to our approved managing agents to manage and deliver the works to your property.
Only households living in properties with an EPC rating of D, E, F or G should apply. The household living in the property that will receive improvements must have a household income less than or in the region of £30,000 per year. Where a property is rented, that means that the tenants must have a household income less than or in the region of £30,000 per year. Large households and those with high housing costs may have incomes over £30,000 but could still be eligible so do call and check.
Do you have to pay back a Green Homes Grant?
No, you don’t have to pay back a Green Homes Grant. The funding is provided by the Government to help the UK meet its zero-carbon targets.
Recommended Reading: Government Funded Health Insurance Programs
Can I Still Get A Green Homes Grant Voucher
The deadline to apply for Green Homes Grant vouchers was 5pm on 31 March 2021.
If you applied before then, your application will be processed. You will be contacted to confirm if you were successful and got a voucher.
If you have a Green Homes Grant voucher, you should redeem it and make sure the work it covers is completed before the voucher expires.
Vouchers are valid for three months from when they are issued. Work should be completed before you redeem the voucher. Your voucher will contain details of how to redeem it.
Once you have your voucher, you can ask to extend its expiry date. You must do this before it expires. Contact the administrator of the scheme, called ICF, to do this. You can do this using the government’s Green Homes Grant scheme contact form, webchat or by phoning 0300 131 0053 .
If you’re considering installing a heat pump or solar water heating, funding from the Renewable Heat Incentive is still available until next year. Find out what is the Renewable Heat Incentive.
Free Home Insulation For Homeowners For Some Uk Benefit Claimants
- Replacement glazed windows and doors
- Installing of secondary glazing to single glazing units
- Supply of lightbulbs which are classed as energy efficient lighting
- Fitting and installation of loft insulation and insulating property walls
- Upgrading or adding draught proofing around the home
- Upgrading your heating: ASHP Air Source Heat Pumps or GSHP Ground Source Heat Pumps
- On-site generation of renewable energy from solar thermal
650,000 UK homesSend a message
Recommended Reading: Bilingual Jobs In Maryland Government
Helping Businesses Reduce Emissions
The government is investing $74 million in a cleantech innovation initiative, which will help industry reduce greenhouse gas pollution by encouraging large industrial plants to adopt leading-edge technologies, while supporting entrepreneurs in developing creative solutions. For this initiative, the government is partnering with the Ontario Centres of Excellence, which drive the development of Ontarios economy by helping create new jobs, products, services, technologies and businesses.
The government is also investing $25 million in Smart Green, an energy efficiency program to help small and medium-sized businesses invest in equipment and process upgrades that will reduce emissions and become more energy efficient. The program will be delivered by Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters. Qualifying businesses will receive grants of up to $200,000 to cover up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs. The program will help small- and medium-sized businesses reduce their energy consumption, and help Ontario meet its targets for GHG emissions reduction.
How We Use Funding
There are over 80,000 properties in need of retrofit energy efficiency improvements across the city. However, the funds are limited and we can only upgrade a certain number of homes each year.
We are reliant on central Government funding and regularly bid for funding to run schemes as they become available. With such a great scale of need, criteria are set by national government, and we concentrate on the least energy efficient homes first.
Read Also: How Do You Get On A Government Watch List
How Much Money Did Householders Get From The Green Homes Grant
The vouchers covered two-thirds of the cost of the measure for the majority of householders, up to a limit of £5,000.
This means there was no need to be a contribution from the householder.
However there was more support available for those on lower incomes and benefits, with vouchers fully covering the cost of installs up to a value of £10,000.
With relatively little contribution required, residents were able to save hundreds of pounds in the long run by benefiting from a more energy efficient home.
What Does The Green Homes Grant Cover
You will get a separate voucher for each energy efficient home improvement. Vouchers are valid only for the home and the measure that you applied for. At least one of your vouchers must be for a primary measure:
You could apply for top-up insulation if you didnt already have the maximum recommended amount. But the vouchers cant be used to replace existing insulation or low-carbon heating.
To have low-carbon heating installed, your home will need to have cavity or solid wall insulation and loft insulation . You can have these installed as part of a package.
Low-carbon heating must be for heating your home or domestic hot water and replace a fossil fuel system. You could not apply for vouchers for outdoor heating or swimming pools.
You could only apply for a biomass boiler if you live in a rural area. It must have a valid emissions certificate and burn only authorised fuel.
If you install one of the improvements in the list above using the scheme, you could also get vouchers for a secondary energy-saving measure from the list below:
- Double glazing, triple glazing or secondary glazing
- Energy-efficient doors
- Hot water tank thermostat or appliance thermostat
- Hot water tank insulation
Recommended Reading: How To Get A Contract With The Federal Government
What Is The Green Homes Grant Scheme
Under the Green Homes Grant Scheme, the government will fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements of over 600,000 homes in England.
Homeowners, including owner occupiers and social/private landlords, will be able to claim the new vouchers, which are worth up to £5,000. Households on low income can receive vouchers covering 100% of the cost of improvements, up to a maximum of £10,000.
How can I apply for a voucher?
Households will be offered a list of approved Trustmark and MCS registered tradespeople to carry out the work. Once the works have been agreed, vouchers will start to be issued from the end of September so work can commence.
What work do the vouchers cover?
The Green Homes Grant Scheme vouchers will cover the installation of one or more energy saving measures, including:
- 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, biomass pellet boilers
In addition, and so long as there is at least one of the above measures installed, households will also be able to install one or more of the following measures:
- Draught proofing
- Windows and doors:Double/triple glazing, secondary glazing, upgrading to energy efficient replacement doors
- Heating controls and insulation:Hot water tank thermostats, hot water tank insulation, smart heating controls, zone controls, delayed start thermostat, thermostatic radiator valves
Why Was The Green Homes Grant Pulled
There are several reasons the Green Homes Grant failed. These included homeowners reporting issues with the application process, administrators being slow to distribute vouchers, and tradespeople reportedly being left out of pocket for completed work.
In September, a National Audit Office report in September blamed the government for botching the delivery of the scheme, and said the scheme’s design had been rushed.
It criticised the government for setting a 12-week timescale to design the scheme the timetable was undeliverable for tradespeople, who were initially working to a nine-month deadline and the government failed to heed industry warnings.
This week’s PAC report also referenced the rushed timescale. Dame Meg Hillier added: We heard it can take 48 months four years to train the specialists required to implement key parts of a scheme that was dreamed up to be rolled out in 12 weeks. It was never going to work at this time, in this way, and that should have been blindingly obvious to the department.”
Recommended Reading: Government Jobs St Paul Mn
Helping Fund Local Environmental Organizations
Ontario is investing $1 million from the Green Investment Fund in Kitcheners Sustainability CoLab Network.
Sustainability CoLab is an organization that helps small and medium sized businesses set and achieve targets to reduce their environmental impact while enhancing their competitive advantage and stimulating the low-carbon economy. To date, CoLab Network program members have collectively reduced 29,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases the equivalent of taking 6,100 cars off the road.
With this investment, CoLab will fund local environmental organizations in their network to help businesses introduce energy-efficiency measures and complete energy retrofits and building audits.
If You Want To Pay For Community Energy Improvements
You might be able to come together to organise ways of getting energy to your homes.
Local Energy Scotland can offer advice and funding for local energy projects such as biomass, wind, or solar power. They can help with planning, development, funding applications, and starting projects. Find out more on the Local Energy Scotland website.
You May Like: New York State Government Assistance Programs
Related Costs And Blending Finance
The vouchers will also cover some supplementary costs. These include professional services , contractor costs and associated work, such as improving ventilation and changes to pipework and radiators.
Check out the full list of supplementary costs.
There may be cases where the voucher doesnt cover the whole cost. In some cases, it will be possible to combine the voucher with another scheme to promote low carbon heating, the Renewable Heat Incentive.
To do this, you will need to apply for the Green Homes Grant voucher first and use this to install a heat pump, for example. Once the measure is in place and the voucher redeemed, you can apply to the Renewable Heat Incentive.
If you are eligible, this will provide you with quarterly payments minus the amount you received from the Green Homes Grant. Find out more about combining the two schemes.
