THE SCHEME
A new initiative designed to encourage more homeowners to make energy efficient improvements to their homes has been launched by the Government. The Green Homes Grant is due to start at the end of September 2020. It will allow homeowners and private landlords to apply for a maximum grant of £5,000 (£10,000 for low income households) to spend on a range of home improvements. The measures are being targeted to help families save up to £600 a year on their energy bills in a typical home.
The scheme will cover home improvements including insulation of walls, floors and roofs, but also in some cases new windows and entrance doors.
Saint-Gobain Glass manufactures some of the UK’s most energy efficient glass and the Green Homes Grant is an exciting opportunity for our customers.
The improvements must be completed and the voucher redeemed by 31st March 2022.
IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WINDOW AND DOOR MANUFACTURERS AND INSTALLERS
The installation of double or triple glazing (or secondary glazing) is eligible if replacing and upgrading single-glazed windows.
Funding is available to upgrade single-glazed windows to either new double-glazed or triple-glazed windows (or install secondary glazing). Funding is also available to replace entrance doors provided that the existing door was installed before 2002 (which is when Part L of the Building Regulations was changed).
But the opportunities are broader than that. As other measures are installed in homes, for example external wall insulation, replacement windows and doors typically become part of the overall improvement project.
This is particularly the case for social housing, local authority and private landlords as it makes sense to upgrade homes with a range of measures at the same time in order to minimise disruption to tenants, and to maximise value for money beyond just installing individual improvement measures.
So the immediate sales opportunity for installers is to make sure you have strong partnerships with the local contractors who are engaging with Green Homes projects.
Contractors will be gearing up to take advantage of the Green Homes funding – so now is the time to ensure those connections and networks are strong at a local level.
REQUIRED WINDOW AND DOOR INSTALLER ACCREDITATIONS
To participate in the scheme, window and door installers need to have PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 accreditation. Further details of these standards are available at:
For window installers without these accreditations there are additional benefits of close cooperation with primary measure contractors as it is they who have to secure and maintain accreditation with the Green Homes delivery standard (PAS 2030). When replacement windows are being incorporated as part of a broader building project and not attracting direct funding (in other words they are not single-glazed windows being removed), the window installer does not typically need the PAS 2030 accreditation. FENSA (or equivalent) and Trustmark registration is deemed to be sufficient.
When replacement doors are being funded by the Green Homes Grant scheme, the installer will always need PAS 2030 accreditation.
To apply for the voucher, homeowners must either:
• own their home (including park home owners, long-leaseholders and shared ownership)
• be a private or social landlord
The property must be in England in order to be eligible for the scheme.
SUPPORT FROM SAINT-GOBAIN
The Saint-Gobain Group includes several businesses, such as British Gypsum, Weber and Isover, that work together to deliver integrated solutions to deliver high-performance building envelopes – Saint-Gobain Glass is part of that story.
Additional information is available here:
