There’s a lot to take in with the Green Homes Grant – we get that! From accreditation, to understanding what jobs are covered under the scheme, there’s a lot you need to organise before you’re good to go.
To start you off on the right track, we’re here to take you through a selection of the different projects that are covered and what systems you should be using.
Primary vs secondary measures
With vouchers available to 600,000 homes in England, homeowners and residential landlords can choose from a variety of solutions to make their homes and properties more energy efficient and sustainable. The improvements are split into primary and secondary measures.
Primary measures cover jobs such as roof, loft or solid wall insulation to reduce heat loss, or solar systems to increase the consumption of renewable energy. There are also secondary measures which cover sustainable improvements such as double and triple glazing, or draught proofing. But the vouchers can’t be used for secondary measures alone – your customers must opt to install at least one primary measure before you can start work on a secondary measure.
The government will provide vouchers (capped at £5,000, or £10,000 for low-income households) to cover the cost of up to two thirds of the improvement measure. Head over to the Simple Energy Advice website to check your eligibility and see what home improvements you’re able install. Once the work is complete, you’ll receive payment from the government via the grant administrator.
Approved systems
Not only are you limited on the types of job you undertake, but also the products you use. To ensure these projects are up to scratch, the materials need to be in line with the specified system designs.
It’s also important that you check they have been constructed in line with the relevant Registered Construction Details (RCDs). RCDs are important in making a home more thermally secure by ‘designing out’ cold stops and overcoming thermal bridging in areas that differ in insulation protection, such as windows. If you don’t meet the specifications then you can risk the project not meeting the right standards and losing the government’s financial contribution.
At Jewson, we’re doing our part to take the hassle out of the material ordering process by making sure you have access to approved products. We’re stocking materials that work with the specified RCDs by collaborating with Local Authority Building Control (LABC). Across all our branches we have over 15,000 compliant products that match the 368 Construction Details to help ensure your Green Homes Grant projects are compliant and meet Building Regulations.
So what jobs are covered?
Primary measures
As mentioned, the primary measures involve more extensive jobs, as listed below. Plus, to help benefit your customers, they also come with some hefty cost savings over time.
Job: Insulation
This covers solid wall, under floor, cavity wall, loft, flat roof, and room in roof insulation to ensure homes stay warmer for longer and, therefore, helping to reduce heating costs.
Approved systems: The system will depend on the type of installation you’re fitting. For solid external wall installations, we recommend the Weber system and for internal solid wall installations, British Gypsum will have everything you need. When it comes to loft insulation, Saint-Gobain’s Isover Space Saver range is a winner, or for flat roofing projects, turn to British Gypsum’s assortment of wallboards.
To give you that extra edge and help sharpen up your skills, both British Gypsum and Saint-Gobain are offering training on how to install their insulation products – click on the links to find out more details .
Cost savings: £30-375 per year depending on the type of insulation
There are a selection of other measures you can install, which include:
Job: Ground source heat pump
Cost savings: £400-£1,090 per year
Job: Air source heat pump
Cost savings: £690 per year
Job: Solar thermal
Cost savings: £100-£330
Job: Biomass
Cost savings: Often cheaper than other heating methods
To find out more about them and the products that are available, email [email protected] or speak with your local Jewson branch.
Secondary measures
If you’re clients are interested in adding some secondary measures to their retrofit, they can choose from the following:
– Double/triple glazing
– Draught proofing
– Replacement doors (replacing doors installed before 2002)
– Hot water tank insulation
– Heating controls and smart heat controls – we recommend looking into some of the innovative solutions from Nest
As above, there are a variety of different products that can be used for these measures. Email [email protected] or speak with your local Jewson branch to see our full range.
For any more information on the Green Homes Grant or to see how Jewson can support you, visit https://www.jewson.co.uk/promotions/green-homes-grant
