Green Homes Grant – Energy Efficient Windows and Doors

From today, Tuesday 1st September 2020 any homeowners or Landlords who want to take advantage of the Green homes grant for energy efficient windows and doors can now check eligibility and find home improvements online.

There is now a Government Endorsed website providing more information on the Green Homes Grant which is https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/pages/green-homes-grant.

There is also a Freephone Hotline available – 0800 444202 Monday-Friday 8 am-8 pm, and 9 am-5 pm Saturday-Sunday for people who prefer to call and discuss.

Customers can apply for vouchers from the Government from the end of September to then spend with a company that is registered for the scheme. This can be up to 2/3 of the value. It’s divided into Primary and Secondary measures, and at least one Primary measure must be applied for and installed before an optional secondary measure as follows:

Primary Measures

Insulation:

Solid Wall
Cavity wall
Under-floor insulation (solid floor; suspended floor)
Loft
Flat roof
Room in roof
Park home insulation
Low carbon heat (where the home is suitably insulated):
Air source heat pump
Ground source heat pump
Solar thermal
Biomass pellet boilers

Secondary Measures

Windows and doors:
Draught proofing
Double/triple glazed windows (where replacing single glazed windows)
Secondary glazing (in addition to single glazing)
Energy-efficient replacement doors
Heating controls and insulation:
Hot water tank thermostats
Hot water tank insulation
Heating Controls (Smart heating controls, zone controls, intelligent delayed start thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves)

The secondary measure grant will only be to the value of the primary measure. E.g. if you get £1,000 for doing your wall insulation, you can only then get a maximum of £1,000 towards energy efficient glazing as well. Cavity wall insulation typically costs around £1000 for an average detached house and Loft insulation about £500 so if you opted for one of these you would naturally get a maximum £666 grant in addition for any Secondary Measures – e.g. Double Glazed windows.

Suppose a customer has already had a loft and wall insulation completed (which many have). Then it is worth pointing out that the other Primary options are both either quite expensive or potentially very disruptive – e.g. to have underfloor insulation installed would require removal of all flooring and room contents before the project can commence. The typical cost of this is around £1,500. The low carbon heat options also all have some level of disruption and high price – e.g. Biomass Pellet Boilers and Solar Thermal start at about £5k each, Air Source Heat Pumps £8-18k and Ground Source Heat Pumps £20-35k!

Example One

If a property has not been insulated at all, then cavity wall insulation can be installed for around £1,000 (which would mean a £666 grant) with then a matched £666 grant towards double glazing. This is the maximum that would be granted against the double glazing as it can’t be more than the grant for the primary measure.

Example Two

If someone wanted to maximise the benefits for themselves, and assuming the home is already suitably insulated (which is a prerequisite). Then the best return for a client would be to invest in either a Biomass Pellet Boiler or a Solar Thermal Heating installation for which they would receive around a £3,350 grant. Then anything leftover (e.g. £1,650) could be put towards energy efficient windows and doors.

Only registered double glazed window companies in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey areas will be able to carry out the work on replacement windows and doors, and they must be MCS registered, or TrustMark approved to qualify.

To discover our energy efficient windows and doors prices now, call 0800 181 698 and request for a free no-obligation quote! Or contact us online and arrange for an appointment at our Bracknell showroom or your home where we can offer professional advice and information on the energy performance on our products to help reduce your energy bills!