Green Home Grants for Landlords
Introduction
The Green Homes Grants Scheme will close on 31 March 2021 at 5pm. To recieve a voucher, you must apply before 5pm on Wednesday.
These grants are available to homeowners, including landlords, in England. Landlords can apply for a voucher towards the cost of installing energy efficient and low-carbon heating improvements in their homes.
How the Green Home Grants Scheme (Vouchers) works
Vouchers will cover: up to two thirds of the cost of qualifying improvements up to a maximum of £5,000.
Vouchers are available for two types of energy efficiency improvement; primary measures and secondary measures. You have to qualify for primary measures before you can apply for secondary measures.
The installer will request and receive payment from the government for the costs covered by the voucher. This has to be done by March 31 2021.
Why should I use this grant?
The Green Homes Grant is a unique opportunity for landlords to get government help with the cost of energy efficiency works to their property. While landlords will have to pay for some of the work, the upgrades will still be required when the grants are no longer available. By utilising the Green Homes Grant while it is available, landlords may be able to reach the future minimum standard at relatively low cost.
The residential sector accounts for a fifth of carbon emissions. As part of their strategy to reduce this, the Government consulted last year on how best to raise the minimum energy efficiency standards in homes to an EPC 'B' or 'C' rating by 2030.
At the present time, landlords can only let out a property if it has an EPC with a rating of E or higher or spend up to £3500 on improving their property to qualify for an exemption.
Most properties in the PRS already reach this standard. However, increasing the minimum standard to a B or a C will mean significantly more landlords will have to undertake energy efficiency improvements at some point or spend enough to qualify for an exemption.
The remainder of this guide is available to members or people who have created an account on the NRLA website.
The guide contains step-by-step guidance on applying for a Green Homes Grant, including what constitutes qualifying work and how to find a suitable tradesperson.
How many quotes are needed?
The Government advises you to get multiple quotes to compare prices, however, you only need one quote. Multiple quotes are not essential.
