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

Zanderman

MP129 said:

Zanderman, I got my information partly from a friend who's in the property development business and who is routinely in contact with insurers. If the Insurance companies are worried, I'll walk away.

Cavity wall insulation, properly fitted, is not a problem.  Energy companies, builders, consumer associations all promote it.  If you prefer your friend's view then each to their own.

MP129 said:

Two other points. If builders leave a gap to prevent damp, how can filling that gap be sensible? And secondly, there are plenty of horror stories around about the job not being done properly - loft insulation being simply dumped over the electrics in a loft etc.

The point is not whether there is a 'gap'. It's whether there is a waterproof division.  
As for horror stories about loft insulation - those are hardly relevant to cavity walls.
And, as I pointed out above, the GHGS Scheme is only for accredited companies working to specific standards, so these should not be cowboys.  Better to have work done via this system than by other means in fact.

MP129 said:

I freely admit I'm not a tradesman, but I hear some alarm bells and I'm just trying to make people think carefully about these apparent freebies. After all, I think even Martin says that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

These are not 'apparent' freebies.  The GHGS scheme is a very real grant scheme, nothing 'apparent' about it.  Messed up admin yes, but it's not an imaginary scheme. 
And Martin is actively promoting the GHGS scheme.

Edited to add: Martin's promotion of this scheme:  https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/green-homes-grant/
And
https://youtu.be/lpqRQF0NmrY

zayn

Still nothing for me, don't think it will happen now    last email i got from the company i used for the quote on 12th Feb. Original quote went in November 2020

Dear Customer,
We are experiencing very long delays in the Government's flagship Green
Home Grant Scheme (GHGS), and no doubt that these delays are frustrating
for you as a homeowner. Towards the end of 2020, on Christmas Eve many
customers received emails from GHGS asking for additional information
and cost breakdowns, this information was sent to you by email from us.

Over the past few days, we have noticed many customers have been
receiving emails from GHGS asking for this additional information to be
on our company letterhead and be sent in as a PDF file rather than an
email.
To speed up your application – we are trying to take a proactive
approach; we are asking all those customers that have received emails
from us after Christmas Eve to contact us. Only IF you have not had an
update from GHGS on your application status, as we believe your
application is on hold, GHGS have not had a chance to email you directly
asking for additional information on our company letterhead.

If you have received the additional information from us on our company
letterhead in a PDF file, please ignore this email and keep chasing GHGS
on 0300 131 0053.

It's just a massive sink hole . Once your in nothing comes back .. 

Martyfuel

I’ve been trying to get my mother a voucher for Solar heating but I have to say the scheme is a total shambles. I’m an accountant and even I’m confused ! Poor old mum has been well and truly ripped off by a company for a worthless warranty and new Solar ‘box’ converter. I’d like to get her the water heating installed to make her feel less foolish about her prior acceptance of a scam. But the Green home grants admin just keeping asking for the same things they already have copies of 🤪 
Good luck if you are applying ! 

tek-monkey

MP129 said:

Zanderman, I got my information partly from a friend who's in the property development business and who is routinely in contact with insurers. If the Insurance companies are worried, I'll walk away.

Two other points. If builders leave a gap to prevent damp, how can filling that gap be sensible? And secondly, there are plenty of horror stories around about the job not being done properly - loft insulation being simply dumped over the electrics in a loft etc.

I freely admit I'm not a tradesman, but I hear some alarm bells and I'm just trying to make people think carefully about these apparent freebies. After all, I think even Martin says that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Cavity wall insulation is a big issue if your walls leak, but if your walls leak you should probably get that fixed.

As for your other concerns, they are about jobs being done badly.  The people on this scheme are members of a specific body that you can go and complain at, I'd be happier about these guys doing it than some guy off facebook, but they do cost more because they aren't supposed to be cutting corners.  Loft insulation you'd do yourself anyway surely?  I put in new cross beams and boarded mine out properly, didnt't take too long and meant I knew a good job was done.

Zanderman

Another day, another news story:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/26/green-homes-grant-fraction-target-england

Saying what we already know, it's a great scheme in concept, but incredibly badly managed. 

So it's great if you get your application through, but the journey to get there is stressful.

Meanwhile, as the news story says, there is pressure to not pull the funding at the end of March - we'll just have to wait and see what happens with that.

tek-monkey

I mailed my MP, but don't hold out much hope.

A1ps

Afourteen said:

A1ps said:

I've just been reading up on the absolute ridiculousness of this entire scheme and those who run it. Is it surprising? No. Was it expected? Yes. What am I going to do about it? Try and get my insulation done before it's too late! And this is where I need your help please guys. 

I have the oddest of things in my house. It's a timber frame build, built in 2003, It has 4 bedrooms. But 2 of the rooms just do not seem to heat up in winter. If one of those rooms heats up, the other is cold. If that other heats up, the first one is cold! The rest of the rooms and house are fine though! 

I have underfloor heating on the ground floor, which is fine. It;s just on the first floor and those 2 bedrooms where the issue is. 

In order to heat of the cold rooms, I need to set my thermostat to 3 - 4 degrees higher. So, if I want the cold rooms to each 21 degrees, I set the stat in the hallway to 24 degrees. Ouch, that hurts the gas bill. 

Can anyone please offer me some advice? As it's a new build (albeit, built by an independent) I doubt it could be the wall insulation. If it is, I'm in trouble! I've check the double glazing and the seals and they all seem to be ok. There are no drafts anywhere to be found. I even shut the vents on the windows, but that made no difference at all. 
Totally baffled. Maybe the place is haunted!!! In which case, i don't need insulation but an exorcist........

You need to get the plumber in - one who understands 'wet' UFH to balance the system. do you know if you do have 'balancing' valves on the feed into the UFH?
Your description is indicative that the UFH heating controls are set to allow all the hot heating water through the floor and so there is no or little flow to the upstairs radiators. 

Hi Afourteen thank you. 

I'm not sure if I have balancing valves on the UFH, but I do know that when I had the UFH fitted the plumber power flushed all the radiators on the first floor and balance all the radiators. 

The radiators upstairs do all heat up which is why I'm so confused about the 2 rooms not warming up properly. Well, when one room heats up the other doesn't. And that room does heat up, the other one doesn't! 

Do you guys think as the weather is now warming up, I should wait to get this checked out until the cold months arrive again? Or should I do it now?

Afourteen

A1ps said:

Afourteen said:

A1ps said:

I've just been reading up on the absolute ridiculousness of this entire scheme and those who run it. Is it surprising? No. Was it expected? Yes. What am I going to do about it? Try and get my insulation done before it's too late! And this is where I need your help please guys. 

I have the oddest of things in my house. It's a timber frame build, built in 2003, It has 4 bedrooms. But 2 of the rooms just do not seem to heat up in winter. If one of those rooms heats up, the other is cold. If that other heats up, the first one is cold! The rest of the rooms and house are fine though! 

I have underfloor heating on the ground floor, which is fine. It;s just on the first floor and those 2 bedrooms where the issue is. 

In order to heat of the cold rooms, I need to set my thermostat to 3 - 4 degrees higher. So, if I want the cold rooms to each 21 degrees, I set the stat in the hallway to 24 degrees. Ouch, that hurts the gas bill. 

Can anyone please offer me some advice? As it's a new build (albeit, built by an independent) I doubt it could be the wall insulation. If it is, I'm in trouble! I've check the double glazing and the seals and they all seem to be ok. There are no drafts anywhere to be found. I even shut the vents on the windows, but that made no difference at all. 
Totally baffled. Maybe the place is haunted!!! In which case, i don't need insulation but an exorcist........

You need to get the plumber in - one who understands 'wet' UFH to balance the system. do you know if you do have 'balancing' valves on the feed into the UFH?
Your description is indicative that the UFH heating controls are set to allow all the hot heating water through the floor and so there is no or little flow to the upstairs radiators. 

Hi Afourteen thank you. 

I'm not sure if I have balancing valves on the UFH, but I do know that when I had the UFH fitted the plumber power flushed all the radiators on the first floor and balance all the radiators. 

The radiators upstairs do all heat up which is why I'm so confused about the 2 rooms not warming up properly. Well, when one room heats up the other doesn't. And that room does heat up, the other one doesn't! 

Do you guys think as the weather is now warming up, I should wait to get this checked out until the cold months arrive again? Or should I do it now?

I'd say get a plumber in sooner rather than later.

tek-monkey

A1ps said:

Afourteen said:

A1ps said:

I've just been reading up on the absolute ridiculousness of this entire scheme and those who run it. Is it surprising? No. Was it expected? Yes. What am I going to do about it? Try and get my insulation done before it's too late! And this is where I need your help please guys. 

I have the oddest of things in my house. It's a timber frame build, built in 2003, It has 4 bedrooms. But 2 of the rooms just do not seem to heat up in winter. If one of those rooms heats up, the other is cold. If that other heats up, the first one is cold! The rest of the rooms and house are fine though! 

I have underfloor heating on the ground floor, which is fine. It;s just on the first floor and those 2 bedrooms where the issue is. 

In order to heat of the cold rooms, I need to set my thermostat to 3 - 4 degrees higher. So, if I want the cold rooms to each 21 degrees, I set the stat in the hallway to 24 degrees. Ouch, that hurts the gas bill. 

Can anyone please offer me some advice? As it's a new build (albeit, built by an independent) I doubt it could be the wall insulation. If it is, I'm in trouble! I've check the double glazing and the seals and they all seem to be ok. There are no drafts anywhere to be found. I even shut the vents on the windows, but that made no difference at all. 
Totally baffled. Maybe the place is haunted!!! In which case, i don't need insulation but an exorcist........

You need to get the plumber in - one who understands 'wet' UFH to balance the system. do you know if you do have 'balancing' valves on the feed into the UFH?
Your description is indicative that the UFH heating controls are set to allow all the hot heating water through the floor and so there is no or little flow to the upstairs radiators. 

Hi Afourteen thank you. 

I'm not sure if I have balancing valves on the UFH, but I do know that when I had the UFH fitted the plumber power flushed all the radiators on the first floor and balance all the radiators. 

The radiators upstairs do all heat up which is why I'm so confused about the 2 rooms not warming up properly. Well, when one room heats up the other doesn't. And that room does heat up, the other one doesn't! 

Do you guys think as the weather is now warming up, I should wait to get this checked out until the cold months arrive again? Or should I do it now?

So do you have radiators and UFH in the same rooms downstairs, or just UFH?  Does the room the thermostat is in have both?

Viknarch

Hi All, 
I got my voucher issued in December and have been waiting for the company to come and start work on external wall insulation ( due to start this month), however I’ve had a letter today to say they’re pulling out of the scheme due to others not getting paid for their work. Sooooo disappointed!! I know it won’t make any difference but who can I complain to? I’m so fed up with the whole process like many others here. They were the only company “local” (45 miles away) that I could even get to come and quote for the work...