INDUSTRYNEWS
Revamped Green
Deal launches
this month
The Next Generation of
Coloured Frames
The government’s revamp of the
controversial Green Deal, the Green
Deal Home Improvement Fund providing grants of up to £7,600 against
energy efficiency measures such as
insulation, new boilers and double
glazing – will be launched this month.
This replaces the original
Green Deal under which
households borrowed money
to fund improvements and
repaid it through their energy
bills. Take-up of the latter
was disappointing – despite a
£125m cashback incentive –
and it was widely criticised for
its complexity and cost.
The new scheme, which
reimburses up to 75 per
cent of the cost of qualifying
improvements provided certain
conditions are met, is also
available to private or social
landlords.
In order to claim the money,
householders must first obtain
a Green Deal Assessment
Report at a cost of £100£150, or provide an energy
performance certificate less
than two years old. They can
then apply to the fund to carry
out two improvements from
an approved list. These include
installing cavity or solid wall
insulation, double glazing, new
doors, loft insulation or fitting
a new boiler. If the application
is approved, a voucher for the
work will be issued.
The work must be done by an
approved Green Deal installer,
who will validate the voucher
once the work is complete.
After completing the claim, the
householder will be reimbursed
for three-quarters of the cost up
‘regardless of
income’
to a limit of £1,000 (or £6,000
for solid wall insulation). The
cost of the assessment will also
be reimbursed up to the value
of £100.
The fund is not means-tested
so householders can apply
regardless