The Home Upgrade Grant can help homeowners make energy-efficient upgrades to their home with the help of government funding.
The scheme provides local councils with funding to help existing off-the-grid housing stocks, that cannot afford the improvements themselves, reduce their carbon footprints.
Here we guide you through what the funding can be used for, help see if you're eligible, and how you can apply to your local council to help gain funding if you're looking atrenovating a house.
What is the Home Upgrade Grant for?
This grant is for non-mains gas heating systems and aims to provide energy-efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating solutions for low-income households living in the least energy-efficient homes.
The improvements that can be made include improving your home'sventilationandinsulation, installingsecondary glazingandMVHR, and much more.
This is in addition to other government schemes such as theBoiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides £7,500 towards the installation of a heat pump.
How does the scheme work?
Local authorities are allocated a set amount of funding for the Home Upgrade Grant to provide improvements to housing in their areas.
Homeowners can apply to their council to receive the funding to make improvements to their homes to increase their energy efficiency and save onhouse renovation costs.
In order tofind your local councilthe Gov.uk has a portal to each council's website so you can easily get in contact with the correct authority.
Who can apply for the Home Upgrade Grant?
In order to qualify for the scheme, homes must meet a certain set criteria or else their applications will most likely not be considered.
This criteria includes:
- The home must be off the gas grid
- The gross household income must be below £31,000 per year
- The home must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) between D and G
- The home must be in one of the local authority areas listed (find your council tool)
If you meet these criteria, you can contact your local council to acquire funding.
A list of the eligible local councils can be found on theGov.ukwebsite.
How long will the Home Upgrade Grant run for?
Up to £630 million in grant funding has been allocated to support eligible local authorities in their implementation of the Home Upgrade Grant spanning from April 2023 to March 2025.
This funding will be spread out to qualifying local councils annually with set amounts given each year during 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.
Once this funding runs out for these years there is no guarantee more will be available in the future, so eligible homeowners should apply as soon as possible.
