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

straalende

johan46 said:

To all, let me repeat. IT IS NOT ENOUGH for an installer to be registered with TrustMark.

In order to take part in the scheme, an installer or tradesman needs to do all 3 of the following:

1. To be registered with Trustmark
2. To acquire the relevant PAS2030 or PAS2035 certifications for their specific work (e.g. cavity insulation)
   
3. To get registered as an approved installer with the government website directly.
   

If any installer is only registered with Trustmark, then this is NOT enough to do work in the scheme.
If a glazier is registered with FENSA and with Trustmark, then this is again NOT enough to do work in the scheme.

The important part is that they need to also be PAS2030 certified for the specific works they want to do. This is an energy-efficiency certification and has several categories (different certification for solid wall insulation, different for cavity, different for underfloor insulation, different for double glazing etc). This certification is supposed to show that the tradesman knows what they are doing, knows how to calculate U-values for example and can judge which products to use depending on the energy needs of a house and how to install them properly.

Extremely few tradesmen have any PAS2030 certifications right now. Most normal tradesmen are not on Trustmark at all, and of those that are on Trustmark, 99% are NOT certified with the relevant certifications and cannot do works in the scheme.

The only installers that can work within the scheme are those that can be found on this page only - nowhere else: https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/installer-search 

The government is now running a parallel scheme to give funding to training providers in order to create PAS2030 specific trainings to get more people certified to PAS2030 in order to have more people available to do works in the scheme.

Ah! Wish I'd found this sooner. Thanks johan46. 
Wow, it's pretty dire that this isn't evident from the Simple Energy Advice site. 

happypie

I wanted to know if you can apply multiple times? Intending to use one vovcher only though. for example I have received a quotation from one installer and if I apply for grant providing that installer's details. Later if I receive another quotation from another installer for same measure, how can I go with this new installer if I want to with grant? any idea?

imiy40

nhussa22 said:

imiy40 said:

nhussa22 said:

empeters said:

AN64 said:

empeters said:

AN64 said:

Despite trying numerous companies since the scheme was announced weeks ago I still cannot get a quote for external wall insulation. Would anyone who has managed to get quotes & have applied for the grant be willing to share the names of the companies they have been successful with please. Also which primary measures they are having done. Many thanks in advance 

What area are you in ?

We are in Yorkshire. Having absolutely no luck whatsoever 

Have you tried All Seasons Interiors Limited. They are in Sheffield. They quoted me without coming out or even speaking to me. The quote however, was £11,550 which was £2,000 more than my other highest quote. I think this price is quite inflated if i'm honest but the suppliers know we are struggling to get quotes. 

Is this for one side of your house? Is it a terraced house or something else? Just trying to compare the price to what I have been quoted.

do you need prices for External Wall Insulation?
I have several quotes relating to this.

Yes please. Front side of a terraced house, pretty standard.

My house is End of terrace house covering 3 walls of space of approx 160m2.
I had 4 quotes, 2 companies from East London, 1 in Enfield and 1 in North London. 
2 quotes came in for about 20k, 1 for 16k and last one for £12k.
Early this year I had a private company not part of this scheme quoted me about £8K.
If you like the companies names please message me privately, that's if its doable. 

LincsR

johan46 Nobody seems to be mentioning this at all, either in the press or on the Simple Energy Advice or government Green Homes Grant website.  It is absurd that it is not clearly listed within the criteria alongside Trustmark registration.  Simple Energy Advice had no idea about PAS certification when I spoke to their call centre; I had to call Trustmark to clarify the issue. I will be writing to my MP to complain and I suggest others do the same before the 6 months run out and we haven't managed to get the work carried out.  

arty688

the the company I got a quote from wasn’t on the list a few days ago but now is so keep checking and more companies might join.

hollieh85

rajanm said:

I managed to get a quote on Cavity Wall and Loft insulation for my 4 bed semi detached in Kent.  The cavity wall was around £1200 and the loft around £700.  I now have a quote for a new composite door too which is around £1870.  With the govt vouchers I should only have to pay around £1200-£1300 for all of these measures.  I submitted my application yesterday but there was no indication of timescale.  

I decided not to rely on the Simple Energy Advice site to find my tradespeople as there were very few within 30 miles of me.  I just typed in 'trust mark' 'doors' and 'Kent' into google and found a couple of companies who said they were taking part.  Hopefully I get the vouchers but my advice is not to just rely on the installers page on the Simple Energy Advice site!

@rajanm I am also in Kent do you mind me asking which company you used to quote? Thanks

johan46

LincsR said:

johan46 Nobody seems to be mentioning this at all, either in the press or on the Simple Energy Advice or government Green Homes Grant website.  It is absurd that it is not clearly listed within the criteria alongside Trustmark registration.  Simple Energy Advice had no idea about PAS certification when I spoke to their call centre; I had to call Trustmark to clarify the issue. I will be writing to my MP to complain and I suggest others do the same before the 6 months run out and we haven't managed to get the work carried out.  

The government website was unclear on this in the beginning, but now it's mentioned in a couple of places.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-the-green-homes-grant-scheme

"Your installer will also need to meet PAS and MCS standards when installing your measures."

Also

https://green-homes-grant.service.gov.uk/installer-terms-and-conditions

"for all Eligible Measures other than those referred to in paragraph 3 of this Annex D, the Installer must be certified (by the relevant UKAS accredited certification body) to either PAS 2030:2017 or PAS 2030:2019 for that Eligible Measure; "

arty688 said:

the the company I got a quote from wasn’t on the list a few days ago but now is so keep checking and more companies might join.

This is true - more are getting the relevant certifications and are getting on the list every week. Still a very long way to go though, and for secondary measures like glazing there's very low uptake for now.

The installer search page in the SES website does find those currently enrolled in the scheme, but is always worth calling companies and asking them if they plan to get in the scheme in the future. The problem is that most do not know what costs are involved in certifications and how that works, and are waiting for instructions from their industry bodies, e.g. from FENSA. The gov is also trying to get an accreditation training program for installers running at low cost, but details on that are not out yet.

Apparently there may be some flexibility in the system: an installer needs to be certified to PAS2030 or MSC and enrolled into the scheme when the works take place but apparently does not be to be part of the scheme when he quotes and a customer does a voucher application. An installer only needs to be TrustMark registered in order for the voucher application to be made. This is easy to control later on: If the installer does not get in the scheme by the time works happen, he risks not being able to cash in the customer's voucher.

vbnmu

imiy40 said:

nhussa22 said:

imiy40 said:

nhussa22 said:

empeters said:

AN64 said:

empeters said:

AN64 said:

Despite trying numerous companies since the scheme was announced weeks ago I still cannot get a quote for external wall insulation. Would anyone who has managed to get quotes & have applied for the grant be willing to share the names of the companies they have been successful with please. Also which primary measures they are having done. Many thanks in advance 

What area are you in ?

We are in Yorkshire. Having absolutely no luck whatsoever 

Have you tried All Seasons Interiors Limited. They are in Sheffield. They quoted me without coming out or even speaking to me. The quote however, was £11,550 which was £2,000 more than my other highest quote. I think this price is quite inflated if i'm honest but the suppliers know we are struggling to get quotes. 

Is this for one side of your house? Is it a terraced house or something else? Just trying to compare the price to what I have been quoted.

do you need prices for External Wall Insulation?
I have several quotes relating to this.

Yes please. Front side of a terraced house, pretty standard.

My house is End of terrace house covering 3 walls of space of approx 160m2.
I had 4 quotes, 2 companies from East London, 1 in Enfield and 1 in North London. 
2 quotes came in for about 20k, 1 for 16k and last one for £12k.
Early this year I had a private company not part of this scheme quoted me about £8K.
If you like the companies names please message me privately, that's if its doable. 

A company in Enfield (let's call them EE like the mobile network operator) has quoted me £5500 for 46m2. Seems inflated to me.

ulltiger

I've been trying to get quotes for external wall insulation, there are only two companies in my area registered on the scheme. I sent details and photos as requested on the 18th Sept to my preferred installer about 25 miles away. The other installer quoted today at £9,500 plus vat - total £9,975 for a 3 bed end terrace. Convenient price considering I'm eligible for £10k grant. I then phoned my preferred installer only to be told they are too busy to quote me and already booked up until the end of Feb so are only quoting in the local area! Therefore I have no comparative quotes. The scheme is already a farce and companies are swamped so we're going to get jobs rushed and quality will no doubt suffer when corners are cut to fit people in by the deadline. The deadline simply just be extended. The company that quoted me today has said they know next to nothing on the details of how the scheme will work, as did my preferred installer, so the usual government muck up then.

imiy40

vbnmu said:

imiy40 said:

nhussa22 said:

imiy40 said:

nhussa22 said:

empeters said:

AN64 said:

empeters said:

AN64 said:

Despite trying numerous companies since the scheme was announced weeks ago I still cannot get a quote for external wall insulation. Would anyone who has managed to get quotes & have applied for the grant be willing to share the names of the companies they have been successful with please. Also which primary measures they are having done. Many thanks in advance 

What area are you in ?

We are in Yorkshire. Having absolutely no luck whatsoever 

Have you tried All Seasons Interiors Limited. They are in Sheffield. They quoted me without coming out or even speaking to me. The quote however, was £11,550 which was £2,000 more than my other highest quote. I think this price is quite inflated if i'm honest but the suppliers know we are struggling to get quotes. 

Is this for one side of your house? Is it a terraced house or something else? Just trying to compare the price to what I have been quoted.

do you need prices for External Wall Insulation?
I have several quotes relating to this.

Yes please. Front side of a terraced house, pretty standard.

My house is End of terrace house covering 3 walls of space of approx 160m2.
I had 4 quotes, 2 companies from East London, 1 in Enfield and 1 in North London. 
2 quotes came in for about 20k, 1 for 16k and last one for £12k.
Early this year I had a private company not part of this scheme quoted me about £8K.
If you like the companies names please message me privately, that's if its doable. 

A company in Enfield (let's call them EE like the mobile network operator) has quoted me £5500 for 46m2. Seems inflated to me.

They were the most expensive one, I would recommend trying workworkltd.com based in North London. 
They gave me a more sensible quote.