Financial help is still available for eco-friendly home improvements as the Green Homes Grant is axed

In news likely to disappoint many low-income households, the UK Government’s Green Homes Grant scheme – aimed at spurring eco-friendly home improvements across England – is set to be scrapped at short notice, with the scheme open to new applications only until 5pm today (31 March 2021).

This leaves many homeowners – including landlords – with one less form of state-provided financial support for such environmentally-friendly measures as solid wall, cavity wall, loft insulation, and air source heat pumps, all of which were covered by the scheme.

However, the good news is that other avenues remain open to you if you would like to source financial support from the Government for energy saving measures like these. Members of our team can take you through the process wherever your residential building happens to be located in the UK.

What was the Green Homes Grant?

The Government revealed on Saturday that it was dramatically cutting short the Green Homes Grant scheme, which had previously been expected to run for at least another year to come. The scheme invited many low-income households in England to apply for up to £10,000 to go towards eco-friendly home improvements.

Through arranging for such measures to be implemented by Green Homes Grant-accredited installers like Thrift Energy, eligible homeowners could rein in their energy usage – helping these homeowners to similarly reduce the impact of their carbon footprint and energy bills.

However, when announcing the Green Home Grant’s impending demise, the Government said it was also adding an extra £300 million to the funding pot for energy efficiency projects administered by local authorities in the 2021/22 financial year.

Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said this funding boost would “mean even more households across England are able to access these vital grants through their local authority.” The funding increase also “takes our total energy efficiency spending to over £1.3 billion in the next financial year”, he added.

What options are available if you want to save money on green projects?

You could consider the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation (HHCRO), a government-backed scheme capable of providing tailored funding to households in receipt of particular benefits.

The list of benefits that would make many households eligible for financial assistance under HHCRO is vast – and includes child benefit, child tax credit, income support, working tax credit, universal credit and disability living allowance. However, we urge you to contact us if you are uncertain whether you would be eligible, as you might be able to secure HHCRO funding even if you don’t receive any benefits or credits.

If you find you don’t qualify under HHCRO, we could also investigate whether you would be eligible to take advantage of another government-backed scheme, Local Authority Eligibility Flexibility (LAFLEX). This is open to households living in particular areas of the North East, including Durham.

With Thrift Energy, it’s easy to learn more about the state-issued funding options available for eco-friendly home improvements and to get help with applying under any of these schemes where you would qualify for support. Call 0800 689 3415 today to find out more.

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