Green Homes Grant Scheme and your glazing

Green Homes Grant Scheme and your glazing

The Government has now launched a new scheme to improve the energy efficiency in domestic homes, but what does it mean for your glazing.

If you are upgrading your home and thinking about installing double or triple glazing then you may be disappointed with the Green Homes Grant Scheme, because to upgrade you need to have single glazing already in place. If your windows are double glazed then you will not qualify for an upgrade under the new scheme.

Here’s the information on the scheme as well as the best advice for your glazing home improvement.

What does the Green Home Grant Scheme Cover?

A maximum grant of £5,000 covers up to two-thirds of the cost of some of the energy-efficient improvements you can make in your home. The improvements you can make using the grant are split into two categories – primary measures and secondary measures.

The primary measures cover loft, wall and floor insulation as well as thermal systems and ground or air source heat pumps.

If you already have these features, you can apply for grant money to improve them and if you do this, you can then claim funding for secondary measures which means you can upgrade your single glazing with double or triple glazing, or secondary glazing.

Worth noting that you cannot get more money for secondary features than you can for primary. For example, if you got £1,000 for insulating a loft and installing a solar thermal system, you could not get more than £1,000 for putting in double glazing to replace your single glazing.  

Are you eligible?

The scheme is expected to help 600,000 homeowners to make properties more energy efficient.

If you live in a home you own, the scheme includes long-leaseholders and homes with shared ownership.

If you are a landlord and rent out privately or for social rent you are also eligible, while park homeowners, including traveller sites, also qualify for the scheme, though new-build homes are not eligible.

If you own your own home and are on Government benefits like Jobseeker’s Allowance you could be eligible for a bigger grant of up to £10,000 for the improvements – covering the entire cost of the refurbishments.

How to apply?

The Government will later in August provide advice to homeowners on how to apply from the Simple Energy Advice (SEA) website which will tell you in greater detail what areas of your property may be eligible for funding.

A list of government-accredited builders and tradespeople will also be available to choose from when the scheme is launched. Once the work is agreed, the Government will issue vouchers from the end of September.

Best Advice

Replacing Double Glazing

• If you are planning on replacing or are replacing your existing double glazing, then don’t delay the job and use a GGF Member (listed in the MyGlazing.com installer search directory), to undertake the work. Only single glazing is available under the scheme.

• If you have leaky or pre-2002 inefficient double glazing but you do qualify for the primary measures under the scheme and are installing insulation (primary measures), then it is worth considering replacing your double glazing over and above the scheme to complete your upgrade and make your home truly energy efficient. Remember up to 24% of heat energy can leave a house through inefficient windows.

Replacing Doors

• The Government has yet to issue full details of door replacement and what will qualify under the scheme. However it will be a secondary measure.

Installing a conservatory or orangery

• Conservatories, orangeries and garden rooms are not include under the scheme.

The Scheme is launched in September, but it is estimated that vouchers will be issued at the earliest at the end of September. Replacing single glazing with double/triple or secondary glazing is a secondary measure and not guaranteed unless you install or upgrade other measures. It’s also worth getting your home improvement done before the winter sets in, so our advice is, don’t rely on the Green Homes Grant Scheme but if you feel it’s worth the wait and you are sure you can upgrade your single glazing then it may be worth getting your application in when the scheme is launched in September.