On the 30th September 2020, the Government launched the Green Homes Grant Scheme. Homeowners in England, including landlords, can now apply for vouchers to part fund energy efficiency measures – including heat pumps. The scheme is expected to improve the energy efficiency of over 600,000 homes and will see the Government fund up to two-thirds of the cost of improvements up to the value of £5,000. For homeowners on reduced incomes and certain benefits, the vouchers will cover 100% of the costs up to £10,000.

Become a Green Homes Grant installer

Step 1: Register as a certified installer with TrustMark

To install energy efficiency and/or low carbon heating improvements in homes under the Green Homes Grant scheme, tradespeople and businesses must be TrustMark-registered.

To install low carbon heat measures including heat pumps, installers must also be certified with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

Those installing energy efficiency measures must be certified to install measures against Publicly Available Specification (PAS) Standards., specifically PAS 2030:2017, PAS 2030:2019 or PAS 2035:209 (for park homes, high rise buildings and buildings that are both traditionally constructed and protected), and certified by a body that has been accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

You will be added to a directory of certified installers, where homeowners can contact you to get a quote. Homeowners will be able to search for local registered installers via the Simple Energy Saving Advice Service.

Step 2: Register to be a Green Homes Grant installer

Installers must register and sign up to the Terms and Conditions of the Green Homes Grant Scheme. At this point, installers will be asked to prove details for payment and register each of the measures they intend to carry out.

Installers must await confirmation that the registration has been successful before agreeing to carry out any work under the Green Homes Grant scheme.

Eligible Measures

Eligible measures have been split into two categories: primary and secondary. Households must install an eligible primary measure to use the voucher for a secondar measure.

Primary Measures

Low Carbon Heat (air source heat pump, ground source heat pump, solar thermal (liquid filled flat plate or evacuated tube collector), biomass boiler, hybrid heat pump)

Insulation (solid wall (internal or external), cavity wall, under-floor (solid floor, suspended floor), loft, flat roof, pitched roof, room in roof, park homes).

Secondary Measures

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.

Low carbon heat measures

There are additional conditions that you must follow when installing low carbon heat measures:

• All heat installations must be used for space heating and/or domestic hot water heating purposes. A heat installation must not be used for process heating, outdoor heating or heating swimming pools.
  
  
• With the exception of solar thermal, low carbon heat measures must entirely replace an existing fossil fuel heating system. This means you can’t use the voucher to replace an existing low carbon heating system. For hybrid heat pump measures, the fossil fuel element of any heating system would also need to be new, although this will not be covered by the Scheme.
  
  
• You must declare that you either have planning permission, or that it is not required, to have the measure installed. Further advice is available on the Planning Portal website.
  
  
• A minimum level of insulation is recommended to ensure the proper design and operation of the relevant technology in line with relevant standards.
  
  
• Installations must be serviced in line with the manufacturer’s instructions for the lifetime of the installation. All heat pump systems must have a minimum Seasonal Performance Factor (SPF) of 2.5.

For hybrid heat pump installations, the heat pump element of any hybrid system should be capable of providing the vast majority of the space heating demand for the property.

Quoting for work

Quotes should reflect the total cost of the work, including materials, labour and VAT. Installers should quote the usual price for the installation; this should not be higher than a quote that would have been issued outside of the scheme. Additional works will be covered by the voucher if they are necessary for the installation of measures. Find out what the voucher covers here.

Customers are being advised to obtain at least 3 quotes to ensure best value for money but they must have at least one quote from a registered installer to apply.

If the customer’s application for a Green Homes Grant voucher is approved, it will contain the name of the installer or business the customer has selected to carry out the work.

When can you begin work?

Work should only begin once the voucher has been issued to the homeowner and their application has been approved. The voucher should contain your or your business’s name after the customer has selected you to carry out the work. Any work carried out beforehand cannot be claimed under the Green Homes Grant scheme.

Vouchers will be issued to customers from early November and the scheme is now open to applications from homeowners.

Completing the work

Green Homes Grant vouchers expire after 12 months, or on 31st March 2022 (whichever is earlier). The work agreed must be carried out to completion and the voucher redeemed by the customer before its expiry.

Customers may apply for the voucher to be extended, provided the scheme has not reached its end date (31st March 2022).

Payment

The Green Homes Grant vouchers represent grant payments covered by the Government. This cost will be paid to installers after the work has been completed and the voucher has been redeemed.

Customers must confirm completion of the work within 7 calendar days, as per the terms and conditions. The payment will come from the grant administration and most installers will get the grant payment within 5 working days.

Should installers ask for a deposit, this should not be larger than the amount normally charged or larger than the customer’s expected contribution under the quote provided. Deposits for the low income scheme should not be requested unless the cost of measures exceeds £10,000.

Where a customer contribution is required, this is a condition of voucher eligibility.

Accepting non-payment to secure the work, or paying this yourself, will deem the voucher invalid and will constitute fraud.

Homeowner redeeming the voucher

To redeem the voucher, the household will need to confirm that:

• the installation was completed satisfactorily before the voucher expiry date
  
  
• they have received the necessary documents from the installer
  
  
• they have paid their share of the costs to the installer (if applicable)
  
  
• they meet the relevant eligibility requirementsThey will need to provide a dated copy of the invoice issued by the installer. When they redeem the voucher, the grant will be paid on their behalf directly to the installer.
  
  
  Help and Support
  Green Homes Grant installer enquiries
  installer.green-homes-grant@beis.gov.uk