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

Zanderman

I've approached three firms - two actually local, one not, for a house we're helping to do up.. None have responded in any helpful way.  One says, every time I ring, that they will ring back tomorrow and they never do.  Another allows you to book an appointment online and then cancels it, without explanation.  The third has an online enquiry form that you fill in with details, they then send you another form asking for the same information in a different order and they then respond saying it 'may be weeks' before they can come and visit. And you don't hear from them again.

You really couldn't make it up. A scheme with a lifespan of just 6 months - during which you have to get quotes, register for vouchers with the quotes and then get a firm to do the work - which is massively unrealistic at the best of times - let alone after the covid backlog (we're still waiting on two different builders who have been promising to come for nearly a year!)  There's no chance this will happen in the allocated time.  It's just taken nearly 4 months (from quote to install) for a simple install of a new uPVC door.  Flat roof insulation (which we want) would be rather more complicated as indeed (though we're not going for this) any of the renewable energy installs.

And all this set in winter (when the weather will stop quite a lot of work) and only using firms that are either already over-subscribed so are too busy to help or are, by the look of them, cowboys.  

This seems normal for our current government - but I don't know what to do about it.  Apart from despair!

wakeupalarm

We may have several lockdowns as well during this period, people self isolating, no more then 6 people allowed together, maybe an extension of the furlough scheme, businesses going bust.  Its going to be difficult to get anything done during the 6 month time limit.  Remember, you will still have to pay for the contracted work even if you miss the 6 month deadline for the grant.  As per usual, its an unrealistic scheme.  It should be amended to a long term scheme, maybe 6 years instead of 6 months.

bigpappa

Who can you actually use for this? The most I think I will be able to get is loft insulation.

Would it cover cavity wall insulation where only half of the wall was insulated. It looks like because of access issues half of the external wall has insulaton and the other half is empty.

johan46

Nu-Heat who do mostly underfloor heating systems have a page on this. It looks like they are ready to get in on this scheme and also claim underfloor heating is included, but some details still not clear: https://www.nu-heat.co.uk/blog/what-is-the-green-homes-grant-and-am-i-eligible/

Underfloor heating is not even mentioned on the simple energy advice website. What a mess.

mummystudent

What an utter mess. I've spent the day calling around the numbers given by the Simple Energy Advice government-linked website and no one has a clue what is going on. The scheme isn't live, they don't have any details, and don't themselves understand some rather important key points like if you have your primary measures installed by one company how do they liaise with the other company for secondary measures? And does the primary need to be completed before the secondary starts? 

In Birmingham, there aren't many providers and those that do operate in the West Midlands are so overrun with enquiries they will not be able to quote or do work outside of their immediate area. They only suggest three companies per section of your plan and in two of those sections, none of the contact details are correct at all. 

What an utter mess!

Justiceforme

Hi I'm also in Birmingham and have been reading other comments, I tried this link and found companies in my area.
https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/installer-search
Hope this helps others, SEA hopeless in my opinion!

Tahlullah.H

It is sad to see that the rest of the country is having the same problem, for different types of quotes.  I was looking for someone to do external insulation to a Park Home.  In Reading, and the closest was Plymouth.  Even when speaking to Simply Energy Advice, they were trying to direct me to companies that do cavity wall insulation - not the same thing.  Utter waste of time and energy.  The principle is good, but the execution / delivery needs some work.

Justiceforme

I agree, failure to plan = plan for failure.  Companies are not geared up for this.  Seems a great idea in theory but no clear facts available.  Is this just a paper exercise?   Who is SEA owned or governed by, it would be really interesting to know?   If there are a vast amount of grants available, and some people on benefits can get work done for free, why aren't companies advertising? 
As they would supposedly be paid by the government for work the to be completed.   Or have the SEA and government red tape on trying to get paid made it too difficult.  If something if free or cheap most of the public and companies would respond very quickly.  Yes, I can apply but will probably never get it syndrome.  Martin Lewis should address this, should be one of the questions on his TV show.  

GilioGeordieo

I get the impression that the companies on trustpilot for the ECO -GREEN grants,that the government are recommending are waiting for final details from the government on the scheme, before they will quote. i phoned two companies and they both said they can come out and survey for cavity wall insulation. but they cannot give me a price under the scheme. so i have asked a 3rd company to come out and survey and see what the quote would be without the grant, as if i would pay for it all myself. i suspect they are going to inflate the price knowing that we will be getting grants. has anybody else got that feeling from their enquiries ? 

Justiceforme

I emailed several companies yesterday, re cavity wall insulation quotes, not one response!