New Green Homes Grant to give up to £5,000 in vouchers for insulation and double-glazing

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mpet said:

Finally received my voucher after almost 6 months for flat roof insulation. I then received an email from my installer........

‘A mandate issued by TrustMark in January 2021 insists that ALL wet rooms in a property having insulation fitted under the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme are fitted with a working extractor fan. (Wet rooms include kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms, shower rooms and ensuites.)

 

If extractor fans are required to be fitted in your property, you can either resubmit your quote to GHGVS to include them or self-fund the installation of the fans.’

So unless you have extractor fans in all these locations, you can’t have any insulation work done. I do have extractors in all but my utility room. Unfortunately, the only outside wall space is fully taken up by my CH boiler, so it looks like I won’t be getting the work done. Given the GHG have thrown all sorts of obstacles in the way of applications, I’m surprised they haven’t used this as a criteria to refuse/delay applications.

I've just reached out to my installer as their quote was approaching expiry.  In response they also told me about this ventilation requirement in connection to my cavity wall insulation installation.  They included the trustmark file giving details which I've quoted below this post.

Fundamentally for CWI you need to have "background ventilation" which is trickle vents in habitable rooms such as bedrooms and living rooms, and "active ventilation" which is extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens.

We're in the process of planning a lot of extension work, which will include replacing windows and full refits, which would naturally include fans and I can specify I want trickle vents.  I simply wanted to get the insulation done and out of the way before the work happened (it might complete after the scheme is finished). 

Looking it up, it is possible to retrofit trickle-vents, plenty of people on ebay sell them.  I'm even thinking I could buy vents and fit them.

The ventilation requirements in the GHGVS have been identified as critical to risk management within the scheme.

The ventilation requirements for the GHGVS require all the elements identified within PAS 2030:2017 be applied and evidenced within a lodgement.

Within other funded schemes a different approach has permeated, this approach is not suitable for GHGVS.

This guide is designed to help installers understand common areas around ventilation misunderstanding within GHGVS, this guide does not replace the requirements of PAS 2030 2017 and the PAS should always be consulted.

• All habitable rooms must have a minimum of 6500sq mm of background ventilation.

• Habitable room is a room used for dwelling purposes, not a

  Kitchen/utility/bathroom/cellar or sanitary accommodation.BR Part F Page 8

• Background ventilation is a small ventilation opening designed to provide

  controllable whole building ventilation.BR Part F page 7 diagram 1

• Background ventilation is not a vent designed to provide air for a combustion

  appliance, an opening window is not background ventilation.

• All kitchen and utility rooms must have a minimum of 6500sq mm of background

  ventilation.

• Kitchens must have extract fans that extract 30 litres per second for cooker hoods

  and 60l/s for all other fans.

• All kitchen cooker hood fans must exhaust externally.

• Utility rooms must have a 30 l/s fan.

• All bath and shower rooms must have a 15l/s fan.

• All fans must be in working condition.

• Where any of these elements are faulty and or missing, they must be replaced or

  installed as part of the GHGVS.

• Where a complete installation fails to meet these requirements and or a customer

  refuses to have them the installed, the installation is deemed not be compliant with

  the GHGVS requirements and the voucher can be withdrawn.

• Evidence to meet the requirements within PAS 2030 2017 must be supplied as part

  of a compliant lodgement, a lodgement without suitable evidence will be deemed

  not be compliant with the GHGVS requirements and the voucher can be withdrawn.

• Ventilation requirements are published in PAS 2030 2017 Table A5 / A4 Pages 29-32.

EnterpriseTony

I've been waiting nearly five months for my voucher for solar thermal panels. Despite the regular chasing by phone, it still hasn't yet been issued yet.

At the start, I had anticipated that it couldn't possibly take a wait of more than two months from application to get issued, so I left the scaffolding up from some re-roofing work to enable the panels to be fitted with minimum additional cost. How foolish of me!

With the cost of keeping the scaffolding up for so long (an additional three months), and without any end in sight I've been losing hope and regretting ever getting involved in the scheme. But recent news of other long-waiters on the forum has given me a much needed breath of optimism.

The delays have been the same old story of identification check failure and inablity to prove ownership. This is despite sending in all the usual stuff - utility bills, bank statement, council tax bill - plus later - land registry documents, driving licence, passport, and a copy of my Experian credit file.

I've well absorbed the point made here about never being alerted to any problem until you proactively enquire. But an additional barrier appears to be that none of the operators can amend the application themselves. For some reason, my application mangled my surname with that of the property name, so despite having pointed this out and been assured it was corrected in January, my mangled name is still failing identity checks in April. We keep going round and round the same loop, with no-one seemingly having authority to action remedies. It is driving me utterly mad.

My MSC installer has been very understanding with the delay and accommodating in repeatedly rescheduling the work. In fact, I don't know how he's maintained sanity with the multiplication of exposure to the scheme that he has had. 

sallyhocking

tryingtogetmyheadaround said:

Well after applying just before Christmas and chasing a couple of times a week on the phone (35 calls in total), a few web chats, and finally a complaint email.

I have my voucher!!!

Don't give up, I came close. Now pleased I didn't. Work booked in for end of May!!!

How long after the complaint email did you have to wait for the voucher?

Aauk25

I mentioned this a few times in this thread, if you have provided all your documents and still waiting, send a written complaint via email and at the same time a complaint to your MP, make sure you state that you have also complained to your MP in your complaint to GHG, you will receive your voucher within a week or 2. No point ringing them every few weeks for an update, make a complaint, it will be resolved by them issuing the voucher providing you have sent them all the documents.

tek-monkey

Aauk25 said:

I mentioned this a few times in this thread, if you have provided all your documents and still waiting, send a written complaint via email and at the same time a complaint to your MP, make sure you state that you have also complained to your MP in your complaint to GHG, you will receive your voucher within a week or 2. No point ringing them every few weeks for an update, make a complaint, it will be resolved by them issuing the voucher providing you have sent them all the documents.

I wrote to my MP.  I got a letter back, it made no promises and said nothing I didn't already know, in fact most of it was telling me what the GHG was despite the fact I blatantly already knew.  Was on nice paper though.

zayn

finally got my email to confirm grant approved for external wall insulation and loft insulation. Does the Voucher expiry date apply to the date of claiming the voucher only or completion of work ?

I am also unsure if I want to continue with my installer,  they have a trustmark 1922044 , but 0 reviews and i want to ensure the work is quality

Anyone else changed there installer once the Voucher was approved ?

tek-monkey

zayn said:

finally got my email to confirm grant approved for external wall insulation and loft insulation. Does the Voucher expiry date apply to the date of claiming the voucher only or completion of work ?

I am also unsure if I want to continue with my installer,  they have a trustmark 1922044 , but 0 reviews and i want to ensure the work is quality

Anyone else changed there installer once the Voucher was approved ?

I'd be very wary of changing installer, just because it took so long in the first place!  Do you have another ready, and is the quote similar?

imiy40

zayn said:

finally got my email to confirm grant approved for external wall insulation and loft insulation. Does the Voucher expiry date apply to the date of claiming the voucher only or completion of work ?

I am also unsure if I want to continue with my installer,  they have a trustmark 1922044 , but 0 reviews and i want to ensure the work is quality

Anyone else changed there installer once the Voucher was approved ?

I really wouldn't bother changing Installer, you will have to cancel this voucher and then have to reapply for another voucher.

sallyhocking

When did you apply? How long have you had to wait?

Frith

My voucher has just arrived! 

Lets hope the company are still happy to do the work, they’ve had to wait so long. 

Its for an air source heat pump. I’ve never lived in a house with central heating!