Green Home Grant – August 2020

Wednesday, 8th July

The government has announced that from September 2020, owner-occupiers and landlords will be able to apply for vouchers to make their homes more energy-efficient. These grants will cover at least two-thirds of the cost of the work – such as loft, wall and floor insulation – up to a limit of £5,000 per home.

We are waiting for details. This government is not known for being strong on details, but we are hoping that application will be easier than the Green Deal (now defunct).

However, we suspect that you will have to support your application for a grant with evidence. We can support your claim for a grant by providing you with a thermal imaging report from a qualified thermal surveyor showing how your property currently performs thermally. We can provide a strong case for the need for improvement and, we suspect, strongly increase your chance of being awarded the maximum grant.

We can also help you and your contractor identify which parts of your property need improvement. Please don’t install insulation without research and some thought. Insulation of the wrong type installed in the wrong type of property can cause damage. The most common example of this is when insulation-backed plasterboard is bonded to the solid walls of a traditional property: this can lock in moisture and cause insidious and rampant damp between walls and the hidden face of the plasterboard. We have been involved in removing poorly installed IWI (internal wall insulation) and believe me it’s not pretty!

Our advice for all building works: get a survey, get an understanding and proceed from knowledge.