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

mrmel

Has anyone been successful following the appeal process? This is after a number of delays asking for more information. Declined on the basis that the quote is more than the average cost of work of this kind!

swajarbal

mrmel said:

Has anyone been successful following the appeal process? This is after a number of delays asking for more information. Declined on the basis that the quote is more than the average cost of work of this kind!

My application has been delayed, and after much back and forth, it was due to a higher than average quote being submitted. I have explained this was due to scaffolding being required over my conservatory, and that the work (cavity wall insulation) cannot be done without this! However I expect the application will be still declined, as there seems to be no success for anyone on this thread now. Involving my MP seems to have had no effect either.

tek-monkey

Just had the following:

Dear Customer,

We are updating our policy regarding external energy efficient doors in the Green Homes Grant Scheme.

Vouchers for external energy efficient doors will be limited to a maximum government contribution of £1,000 per door (inclusive of VAT). This can be averaged across all the doors on an application.

This decision was taken following analysis of voucher applications and industry data. It will help us ensure all door installations are in line with the energy efficiency and other objectives of the scheme.

If you have applied for a voucher for a door that exceeds the cap and you do not wish to increase your contribution, you may either provide a new quote (for a less expensive eligible door or a different measure) or cancel the application. In either case, please contact us within 14 days of receiving this email to arrange this, by emailing customer@green-homes-grant.service.gov.uk or by calling on freephone 0300 131 0053. When contacting us by email, please provide your reference number in the subject line.

Please note that in accepting a voucher for an external energy efficient door, you will be agreeing to this change of the maximum grant available for this measure under the Green Homes Grant Scheme. If we do not hear from you within 14 days of receiving this email, then we will assume that you are content to proceed with your application on the basis of this new maximum government contribution of £1,000 (inclusive of VAT), which may mean that you have to increase your contribution to your installer. A copy of the Terms and Conditions are available on request.

Yours sincerely,

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Jlister79

I applied for a voucher to cover part of the cost of installing an Air source heat pump.
I applied on the very first day within the first few hours and after a huge amount of going backwards and forwards between GHG and the supplier updating quotes to include missing info etc.. I got the grant! This was 3 weeks ago.
I now get a response from my chosen supplier saying, "We are sadly unable to take on your GHGS installation. The Programme has just not worked for us as installers or for our customers." GREAT!!!!!! Back to square one!!! I am angrier at my chosen supplier that they dropped out at the last moment. I could change suppliers but this late on I don't think there is any point.

Reed_Richards

Jlister79 said:

...I am angrier at my chosen supplier that they dropped out at the last moment. 

I presume they lost confidence that they would get the money from the scheme in a reasonable amount of time.  If they have to wait the same amount of time to get paid as you had to wait to get the voucher they could run into severe cash flow problems.  

tek-monkey

Reed_Richards said:

Jlister79 said:

...I am angrier at my chosen supplier that they dropped out at the last moment. 

I presume they lost confidence that they would get the money from the scheme in a reasonable amount of time.  If they have to wait the same amount of time to get paid as you had to wait to get the voucher they could run into severe cash flow problems.  

Was thinking the same, they have to buy the kit up front so if it takes a while to pay thats several grand per customer they are out of pocket.  They would have been making a good profit on these jobs, so won't have taken the decision lightly.

I'm waiting on a date for a survey, been a month since I got my voucher.  Not looking promising!

mrmel

tek-monkey said:

Just had the following:

Dear Customer,

We are updating our policy regarding external energy efficient doors in the Green Homes Grant Scheme.

Vouchers for external energy efficient doors will be limited to a maximum government contribution of £1,000 per door (inclusive of VAT). This can be averaged across all the doors on an application.

This decision was taken following analysis of voucher applications and industry data. It will help us ensure all door installations are in line with the energy efficiency and other objectives of the scheme.

If you have applied for a voucher for a door that exceeds the cap and you do not wish to increase your contribution, you may either provide a new quote (for a less expensive eligible door or a different measure) or cancel the application. In either case, please contact us within 14 days of receiving this email to arrange this, by emailing customer@green-homes-grant.service.gov.uk or by calling on freephone 0300 131 0053. When contacting us by email, please provide your reference number in the subject line.

Please note that in accepting a voucher for an external energy efficient door, you will be agreeing to this change of the maximum grant available for this measure under the Green Homes Grant Scheme. If we do not hear from you within 14 days of receiving this email, then we will assume that you are content to proceed with your application on the basis of this new maximum government contribution of £1,000 (inclusive of VAT), which may mean that you have to increase your contribution to your installer. A copy of the Terms and Conditions are available on request.

Yours sincerely,

Green Homes Grant Scheme

I am afraid it is just typical of the way it is going. On a positive note if you are getting the go ahead for a secondary measure you must have been successful in getting a voucher for a primary measure so well done!

swajarbal

So after advising me the quote was too high several weeks ago, today they have sent me a pretty form to fill in. Scaffolding (the reason for the higher cost) is covered by the vouchers, so this is clearly yet another stall/avoidance tactic.
They could not be more incompetent if they tried (which I suspect they are paid to be)!

tek-monkey

mrmel said:

tek-monkey said:

Just had the following:

Dear Customer,

We are updating our policy regarding external energy efficient doors in the Green Homes Grant Scheme.

Vouchers for external energy efficient doors will be limited to a maximum government contribution of £1,000 per door (inclusive of VAT). This can be averaged across all the doors on an application.

This decision was taken following analysis of voucher applications and industry data. It will help us ensure all door installations are in line with the energy efficiency and other objectives of the scheme.

If you have applied for a voucher for a door that exceeds the cap and you do not wish to increase your contribution, you may either provide a new quote (for a less expensive eligible door or a different measure) or cancel the application. In either case, please contact us within 14 days of receiving this email to arrange this, by emailing customer@green-homes-grant.service.gov.uk or by calling on freephone 0300 131 0053. When contacting us by email, please provide your reference number in the subject line.

Please note that in accepting a voucher for an external energy efficient door, you will be agreeing to this change of the maximum grant available for this measure under the Green Homes Grant Scheme. If we do not hear from you within 14 days of receiving this email, then we will assume that you are content to proceed with your application on the basis of this new maximum government contribution of £1,000 (inclusive of VAT), which may mean that you have to increase your contribution to your installer. A copy of the Terms and Conditions are available on request.

Yours sincerely,

Green Homes Grant Scheme

I am afraid it is just typical of the way it is going. On a positive note if you are getting the go ahead for a secondary measure you must have been successful in getting a voucher for a primary measure so well done!

I got the voucher, just no sign of an installation date!

mpet

ic said:

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.

Has anyone actually had flat roof insulation completed under this scheme? If so, did you have to comply with these ventilation requirements.
I am currently in the position that my utility room doesn’t have a fan and doesn’t have space on an outside wall for one. I know there is the option to go through the ceiling, but I don’t want to do this for something I have managed quite well without until now. I don’t have a sink in my utility room, so I would also be interested In what the official definition of a utility room is