Green homes grant help please!

SugaandKookies

Hi there! 
Can anyone tell me how the green homes grant works because I'm a bit confused. I own a house and I'm also entitled to universal credit so I'm guessing that I meet the eligibility requirements but I'm not sure what to do from there onwards. Do I find someone I know that does solar thermal work or does the service have to come from a specific company. Also after the 5000-pound limit do in need to pay the rest of the costs or do I only receive 50% of the money required for the works. Please help.

Reed_Richards

Any house owner can apply for the (up to) £5,000 grant.  If you are on Universal Credit you should be able to get a grant of up to £10,000 .
The service has to come from a specific company on a register of approved contractors maintained by the scheme.
If the work costs more than the grant you have to pay the rest of the costs.

Horsefeathers

Hi, I applied for this boiler grant last time it was going no luck could not find installer, this time I found 2, I am claiming incapacitated allowance and pension credit but still can not get any one to fit one in.
first company said that,”as my house was only 25 years old I did not qualify “ even though the boiler I have was fitted when I bought the house, second one said “because my surname was different to my spouse I did not qualify,
. What a load of crap. But no matter what I tried to tell them they would not budge,
these are the sort of idiots that are given gov permission to fit them. They only want cash sales.

Slogster

Does anyone know of an installer of smart heating controls for Great Yarmouth area in Norfolk? I’ve contacted companies outside this area as at present we only have one installer but they say they don’t fit them. The Green Homes Grant Scheme have been useless so far, with me ending up putting complaints in for their incompetence as well as not treating applicants equally & fairly. The operators don’t read your file if you write in for help, they say they can help you, but don’t. I’m fed up with having to repeatedly explain myself on emails & phone calls without any resolution. I have found so far only if you have a new heating system can you then have smart heating controls as a secondary measure. I’m having external wall insulation as a main measure, the smart heating controls would be an advantage to myself a disabled person. Has anyone else come across this issue?
Also for the main measure I was picked on to get more information when I got identical quotes for myself & my disabled neighbour whose passed with no additional information needed. Where is the fairness & equality in that?
The complaints team don’t see an issue!!
This is all very draining. Now though I’m going to need an extension to my external wall insulation voucher as Covid has caused a backlog of work to installers why can’t the vouchers issued have a more lengthy date to be used by to allow for this, instead of applying for an extension then if lucky only being given a month longer!

Rant over, this scheme has severe faults!!

Reed_Richards

This scheme is being administered terribly but some people have been offered their grants.  I'm not sure if any installer has actually been paid yet.  See: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2021/02/green-homes-grant-voucher-funding-cut/ 

swajarbal

I applied for a grant just over 3 weeks ago (for cavity wall insulation only, no secondary measures, 1950s ex-council 3 bed semi).
Am I likely to get one do you think (I know there are reports of some people who applied last year still waiting)?
Has anyone had a voucher issued recently?

Hexane

Slogster said:

I have found so far only if you have a new heating system can you then have smart heating controls as a secondary measure.

That's insane, and also not consistent with the wording of the scheme as described on their website, as far as I can remember.

Slogster

swajarbal said:

I applied for a grant just over 3 weeks ago (for cavity wall insulation only, no secondary measures, 1950s ex-council 3 bed semi).
Am I likely to get one do you think (I know there are reports of some people who applied last year still waiting)?
Has anyone had a voucher issued recently?

Depends on if they ask you for more information like they did me. It took them 5 months to issue my voucher. So depends on installers quote, what you want done, if quote reflects the price that’s in their range that they don’t tell you about. Good luck!

Slogster

Hexane said:

Slogster said:

I have found so far only if you have a new heating system can you then have smart heating controls as a secondary measure.

That's insane, and also not consistent with the wording of the scheme as described on their website, as far as I can remember.

I totally agree, I was advised to go to Trading Standards, but to be honest I’m worn out with the fight of getting my main voucher after 5 months of back & forth with them. I even contacted the Government over this, but again they are taking sides with Scheme over people like us. They don’t see my complaints as issues. This scheme is useless & the operators the same!

ABrass

How much do you expect your smart heating controls to cost? If you're going for smart TRVs on a dozen radiators then that'd be pricey but a Hive or a Nest is a couple of hundred fitted at most.

ElBeanio

It's terrible to read how disillusioned people are with this scheme.  I'm hoping to get my boiler replaced wtih an air source heat pump (low carbon alternative to combi boiler) and so far haven't found the scheme too bad but it's very early days.  There are several registered installers nearby and they were approachable, explained a lot of things and offered to send me quotes.  We'll see how it goes...