How green are our homes?
Climate change was high up the agenda before Covid-19 – most forecasters predicted climate change as the big theme for the property market in 2020. Energy efficiency of houses in England has improved over the last decade. The average SAP rating, used to calculate EPC, is now 63, up from 53 in 2008.
In July the Chancellor put it back on the agenda with a new £2billion Green Homes Grant for landlords and homeowners to help make their property more energy-efficient. The Green Home Grant will help cut energy emissions further, which is important to many households. Under the scheme landlords and homeowners in England can apply for a voucher up to a maximum contribution of £5,000 to fund at least two-thirds of the cost of hiring tradespeople to upgrade the energy performance of their homes.
Are you eligible?
The scheme is open to anyone who would benefit from eligible energy efficiency measures. Green homes are something worth thinking about for landlords too. 86% of tenants said that an environmentally sustainable home is important or nice to have. Homeowners will be able to apply for a Green Homes Grant by answering some basic questions about their home, applicants will be recommended eligible energy efficiency measures, along with local accredited suppliers. Once an application has been approved vouchers will be issued and final payment made on completion of work by an accredited supplier.
There are various ways to check if your property could benefit from energy-saving improvements:
- Use the Energy Efficiency Calculator to find out how you can reduce your energy bills
- Check which home energy grants you might be able to apply for
- Talk to a Green Deal assessor or provider
Click here for further details: https://www.gov.uk/green-deal-energy-saving-measures
Source: Dataloft, English Housing Survey, Government Gateway