£7600 to make your home more energy efficient
2 May 2014 10:26 AM
Households carrying out energy efficiency
improvements on their home can now get more money back to offset the cost of
having the work done.
From June, people in England and Wales will be able to get
up to £7600 back through a new Green Deal Home Improvement Fund so they
can take control of their bills and have warmer, greener homes.
The
scheme helps people to install energy efficiency measures such as solid wall
insulation and new heating systems by providing them with money back on the
contributions they make towards improvements.
It
opens up the market for smaller businesses in the energy efficiency sector,
competing in new and innovative ways and providing further opportunities for
jobs and growth.
Green Deal Installers and Providers should register with
the scheme now.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey
said:
“The best way for households to take control of
their energy bills is to use less energy.
“Faulty boilers, draughty windows and insufficient
insulation all cause properties to leak hundreds of pounds every year. But
advice and support through the Green Deal can help put a stop to
this.
“By installing energy saving improvements,
families across the country can enjoy the benefits of warmer, more energy
efficient homes and lower bills.”
The
average annual bill saving from installing major measures such as solid wall
insulation in a three-bed semi-detached house is £270, while savings from
other measures such as upgrading a boiler can knock around £100 off a
customer’s bill.
Under the new incentive scheme, which is available from
June, domestic energy customers can get:
- up
to £1000 for installing two measures from an approved list;
and/or
- up
to £6000 for installing solid wall insulation; and
- up
to £100 refunded for their Green Deal Assessment.
The
scheme also entitles those who have bought a property in the 12 months prior to
application to qualify for up to an additional £500 if they carry out
energy efficiency improvements.
In
December the government announced a £540 million three year energy
efficiency package to make Britain’s homes and public buildings more
energy efficient.
Climate Change Minister Greg Barker
said:
“The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund is another
way the Government is making it simpler and cheaper for people to stay warm and
improve their homes.
“I want households across the country to benefit
from more energy efficient homes and reduced bills through the Green Deal, and
that is what the new home incentive fund will do.”
The
Green Deal Home Improvement Fund also applies to private or social landlords,
who can benefit if they undertake to improve the property and are paying the
costs themselves.
Notes to editors
1.The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) will be
available to householders in England & Wales from June
2014.
2.Householders will be able to
receive GDHIF funding for solid wall insulation and/or any two of the
following energy savings improvements:
|
Condensing gas boiler (on mains gas) |
Double glazing (replacing single
glazing) |
Secondary glazing |
Replacement doors |
Cavity wall insulation |
Floor insulation |
Flat roof insulation |
Room-in-roof insulation |
Replacement warm air unit |
Replacement storage heaters |
Flue gas heat recovery units |
Waste water heat recovery systems |
3.For solid wall insulation 75% of the costs of
installation up to a maximum of £6,000 can be claimed back by the
customer. For the ‘two measures’ option 100% of the costs of
installation to a maximum of £1,000 may be claimed back; for homemovers
this maximum is £1500.
4.To be eligible, a customer must have the improvements
recommended on an eligible Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), less than 24
months old, or a Green Deal Advice Report. Households cannot
combine GDHIF with funding from the Energy Company Obligation (ECO),
the Green Deal Communities Scheme or the existing Cashback scheme for the same
installation. However, households having previously benefited
from ECO or Green Deal Cashback may apply for GDHIF for
further improvements provided an EPC or Green Deal Advice Report
recommends them.
5.Householders must take the following steps to apply
for and claim theirGDHIF payment:
- have a valid Green Deal Assessment Report
or EPC which must have been carried out in the two years prior to
application;
- apply for measures as recommended on their assessment
report or EPC;
- register for their GDHIF voucher when the
application website and telephone hotline number go live in early
June;
- once they have received their voucher, customers must
have the improvements installed by a registered Green Deal
Installer or Providerwithin six months;
- once the work has been completed, submit their voucher
– countersigned by the Green Deal Installer or Provider – with
copies of the invoice, PAS2030 Claim(s) of Conformity, and their Green Deal
Assessment Report invoice.
Once the GDHIF administrator has validated the
voucher, customers will receive payment in ten working days if all
documentation is submitted correctly.
6.Rates published are guaranteed for the first £50
million, and up to £120 million is available this financial year, using
funds announced in December 2013. The incentive rates and the design of the
scheme will be subject to review for future funding phases.
7.GDHIF is designed to work alongside Green Deal
finance and householders may consider the Green Deal finance option to help
fund some of the cost of the installation, but they will not be required to do
so in order to qualify for the Green Deal Home Improvement
Fund.
8.Landlords and tenants can apply for the scheme
provided they are paying for the improvements themselves. Landlords are subject
to de minimis thresholds for State Aid: they can’t have received more
than €200,000 (approximately £160,000) of government funding in the
last three financial years. Applications from a landlord will be checked
against a running total of state aid payments and state aid benefits that the
landlord has received to date.
9.Green Deal authorised installers and providers only
may register to deliver the scheme. This is to maintain the Green Deal’s
high standards of consumer protection. Registration with the scheme is now
open. Questions about the registration process should go to the GDHIF Administrator.
10.The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund will open to
customers in early June. Until then households in England and Wales can get
advice on how to reduce their bills and make their homes more energy efficient
from the Energy Saving Advice Service (ESAS) on 0300 123 1234 (calls charged at
national rates).
11.The Green Deal Cashback Scheme remains open until 30
June. Applications pending for that scheme may be eligible to benefit from the
new rates under GDHIF. Applicants who think they may be affected shouldcontact the Green Deal
Cashback administrator by email or telephone: 0300 555
0201.
12.A separate scheme will apply in Scotland. Scottish
households seeking home energy efficiency advice should contact Home Energy
Scotland on 0808 808 2282.
13.For more about the Green Deal and related initiatives
see GOV.UK
website or check out the Quick
Guides.
14.Information about authorised Green Deal providers and
installers can be found on the Green Deal Oversight Body
website