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

tek-monkey

Finally got a quote that isn't more expensive than without the scheme!  OK, it still aint cheap as such, but my share is worth it.
Submitted yesterday, now for the waiting game.....

europrima

I am trying to find an installer for this scheme. One of the companies who I contacted said that they required a non-refundable £70 survey fee before they would give me a quote. Is this normal?

mickvc

europrima Don't pay it they're definitely cowboys, move on to another reputable company. If this company is one of the companies that have been accepted by this scheme - please report them to the scheme.

Rsuppards

Even the "30 mile radius" criterion is a bit misleading.  Living in South Essex, I got a couple of installers in Kent come up in the search.  "no mate, don't cross the river",  Then I found installers in Ilford (25 miles) and Woodford (28 miles) who were reluctant to come outside the M25, but would quote if I did the measurements.  The truth is that the scheme has proved so popular that installers are doing "rationing" of their own, so the notion of "getting three quotes" is a pipe dream. We know that there have been over 20,000 applications and that grant vouchers are expected to be issued "early November".  Installers have been told that the 31st March 2021 completion date for works will be "flexible" and they have also had a hint that the scheme will be extended.  Although perhaps not for all "secondary measures" that are currently available.
  

Rsuppards

europrima said:

I am trying to find an installer for this scheme. One of the companies who I contacted said that they required a non-refundable £70 survey fee before they would give me a quote. Is this normal?

Not with a barge pole!

sinkorswim2018

I agree, pay nothing. 
I've had my quotes done online. Cavity wall insulation as my primary measure and a composite front door as my second. Would have gone for front and back door but that would make it more than my primary measure so it's cheaper for me to buy the back door separately from another supplier.
I applied in a bit of a panic about two weeks ago. I had been really on the ball and approached installers as the scheme came out. I'd given up as they all said they weren't doing it. However whilst recovering from covid I decided to have another look. As soon as I got a couple of companies that would do it I applied. Regret not adding loft insulation to my primary measures but am worried I'll lose my place in the queue if I re apply.  I emailed a few days ago to get an update. Was told not to expect confirmation of acceptance/vouchers until.the end of November. 
I will be paying a third of costs. I'm not really sure what the previous poster meant about this being an advance rather than a grant? 

tek-monkey

sinkorswim2018 said:

I will be paying a third of costs. I'm not really sure what the previous poster meant about this being an advance rather than a grant? 

You get a payment for using certain energy sources, like the feed in tariff on solar panels.  That user wanted the government to buy him his heat pump and still pay him for using it, which they will but they knock off what they gave you first.

So you get the cost knocked off your 'earnings', meaning you're no better off apart from having a much smaller outlay to find at the start.

JudgeDekker

europrima said:

I am trying to find an installer for this scheme. One of the companies who I contacted said that they required a non-refundable £70 survey fee before they would give me a quote. Is this normal?

Out of the half-dozen companies I contacted, one of them said the same thing. It's not totally unreasonable if you want someone to come round and tell you what you should do to make your more energy-efficient, and if installers are deluged with enquiries I can see why they might start charging to visit. But I certainly wouldn't pay it.

Mintyrbc

An update of my claim. My application has been approved, my installer has confirmed the voucher is valid with the green grant customer services team and I am now going through the process of building work to make the house ready for an air source heat pump.
Something to note, the customer service team said to my installer that there is no possibility of the scheme being extended past march 2021 as it has to come out of the budget for this year. So those hoping for an extension be prepared that it is unlikely to happen. 

Mintyrbc

tek-monkey said:

sinkorswim2018 said:

I will be paying a third of costs. I'm not really sure what the previous poster meant about this being an advance rather than a grant? 

You get a payment for using certain energy sources, like the feed in tariff on solar panels.  That user wanted the government to buy him his heat pump and still pay him for using it, which they will but they knock off what they gave you first.

So you get the cost knocked off your 'earnings', meaning you're no better off apart from having a much smaller outlay to find at the start.

Yea, the cost of having a heat pump installed will out weigh the return you could get through the RHI scheme. You can still apply for the funds are paid from RHI to the Green Grant fund rather than to you. The lowest quote I had for a heat pump was in the £10k ballpark, the highest £19k. The RHI tariff won't touch that cost. It will recover around £7k over 7 years if its efficient so if the govt puts £5k once that is paid off, in year 6 & 7 you would be refunded a couple of grand.
If you are getting the full £10k green home grant then its well worth getting one.