Your questions about the Green Homes Grant have been answered by the experts from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Energy Saving Trust

[LucyBMumsnet]

With the chilly winter months fast approaching, many people are thinking about how they can make their homes warmer and help reduce their heating bills. Applications are now open for the Green Homes Grant, where homeowners can apply for a voucher towards the cost of installing energy efficient improvements to their home. We’ve partnered with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Energy Saving Trust (EST) to bring the experts to you, to answer any burning questions you may have about the Green Homes Grant.

Here’s what BEIS has to say: “Homeowners can wrap their homes up this winter and save money on bills with a Green Homes Grant. Vouchers to help cover the cost of energy-saving home improvements are available for householders and landlords under the government's new scheme. Up to £5,000 can be claimed by homeowners and low-income households could receive £10,000.

Ben Golding, Director of Energy Efficiency and Local at BEIS, and Laura McGadie, Group Head of Energy at EST, are the dedicated experts who will be online to answer your questions, whether these are on how to apply for vouchers, or about which improvements come under the scheme."

Want to know more about Ben and Laura? Find some information on the experts below:

Ben Golding - Director of Energy Efficiency and Local at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
“Ben is responsible for leading the government's work on energy efficiency across the residential, business, industry and public sectors in support of the ambition to achieve net zero by 2050, as well as the government's approach to tackling fuel poverty. Ben has over 15 years’ experience in government, the majority of it working on energy and climate policy, as well as having spent time in the energy industry as Director of External Policy for an international renewable electricity developer. Prior to his current role, Ben was previously head of core strategy and carbon budgets at the Department of Energy and Climate Change and has worked across a range of government policies from childcare to family law, before moving to work on energy policy.”

Laura McGadie - Group Head of Energy at Energy Saving Trust
“With more than 25 years' experience as a manager in the domestic energy advice field, Laura leads and develops the energy advice and renewables services across the UK, including the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland advice network and the Welsh Government’s Nest fuel poverty scheme. With a particular focus on high-quality advice delivery, Laura has driven ongoing improvements to achieve customer satisfaction levels of over 97%.”

Perhaps you would like to know more about how to apply and who is eligible to apply for the Green Homes Grant? Or maybe you’d like to know what improvements you can make with the voucher? Whatever your question may be, let BEIS and EST know by posting on this thread. Their expert will be back between the 11th and 13th of November to join the conversation and answer 15 of the questions raised.

All who post a question (regardless of whether it is answered or not) will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

Private tenants presumably don't count. as usual, while rich homeowners improve the value of their homes, and reduce their bills, all at cost to the public purse which is closed to us?
The disgraceful discredited cavity wall and loft scheme, and the scheme which got taxpayers to fund David Cameron's windmill, were no use to the peasants in flats, owned or not. Nor to any private tenants.
A newbuild block of flats has basic double glazing, but there is no way to lift the temperature to bearable, even with heating full blast, because there are no curtain rails to enable stopping the heat loss through the patio doors to the balcony, and most private leases forbid tenants doing anything to mark the walls.

@20mum

Private tenants presumably don't count. as usual, while rich homeowners improve the value of their homes, and reduce their bills, all at cost to the public purse which is closed to us? The disgraceful discredited cavity wall and loft scheme, and the scheme which got taxpayers to fund David Cameron's windmill, were no use to the peasants in flats, owned or not. Nor to any private tenants. A newbuild block of flats has basic double glazing, but there is no way to lift the temperature to bearable, even with heating full blast, because there are no curtain rails to enable stopping the heat loss through the patio doors to the balcony, and most private leases forbid tenants doing anything to mark the walls.

It’s not that they don’t count It’s that the grant must be applied for by the owner of the property

Given the grant is for substantial and sometimes structural changes to the property- that makes total sense

Makes total sense to freeze rather than put up a curtain rail? Costs considerable sum of money to put up curtain rail? Tenants eager and willing to pay for insulation by curtains, linings and curtain rail and yet standard tenancy forms normally ban fixing anything to the wall, even to achieve essential heat saving. Making private landlords obliged to have adequate insulation would make sense, as would forbidding the ban on curtain rails. It won't make rich folk richer though, merely make struggling private tenants warmer, and save a lot of wasted heat, so no hope there then.

I live in on the Isle of Wight where, last time I checked the Government website, there are no installers registered! This could become a postcode lottery.

Would it cover replacing the old drafts double glazing in my house?
Already have wall loft insulation. And replace the heating with a ASHP.

I'm finding it very difficult to get a trustmark supplier to take any interest in joining the scheme. I've phoned countless companies.

Can you get a Green Grant for renovation properties?

@LucyBMumsnet Good morning Lucy, this is an old thread, and I don't think you've selected the winner of the voucher - I'm sure some lovely mumsnetter would be delighted

Thank you to everyone who posted a question for the experts to answer. The winner of the prize draw is @BiBabbles - congratulations!