Taylor Scott International News
More people in the UK will get help to improve the energy efficiency of their homes through a new release of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund open to new applications. Up to £5,600 will be available to households in England and Wales to help with the cost of installing energy saving measures such as solid wall insulation, double glazing, boilers, cavity wall and floor insulation. Up to £30 million in vouchers will be available and details of further releases will be announced on a quarterly basis with the next release expected in February 2015. Up to £24 million will be available for solid wall insulation and up to £6 million for two measures from a list of home improvements available under the scheme. The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund launched in June and has already provided vouchers for more than 20,000 households. Through this second release of funding, domestic energy customers can now receive up to £4,000 for installing solid wall insulation, up to £1,000 for installing two measures from an approved list and up to £500 more if applying within 12 months of buying a new home. ‘This fund is a big success story for the Green Deal, helping thousands of people improve their homes so that they’re warmer, greener and cheaper to run. The best way people can cut their energy bills, this winter and every winter, is to improve their homes so that they leak less heat and use less energy,’ said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey. ‘That’s why we’ve increased the funding available for the Green Deal to help even more people start saving money sooner,’ he added. To complete the two-stage application process, householders will need a Green Deal Advice Report (GDAR) or Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that is less than two years old and a quote from a GDHIF registered installer or provider for work specified on the GDAR or EPC and included on the list of GDHIF approved measures. Energy and Climate Change Minister Amber Rudd said that more than three quarters of a million homes have already had energy saving improvements installed as a result of the Energy Company Obligation and Green Deal. ‘It makes sense to go even further to help more families install measures so that they see the benefits of lower bills and a warmer home for years to come,’ she added. Commenting on the availability of £30 million of new Green Deal Home Improvement Funding (GDHIF), Richard Lambert, chief executive officer of the National Landlords Association (NLA), described it as a positive step and clear evidence that the government has learned from previous mistakes that have so far held back the success of the Green Deal. ‘The NLA is particularly pleased that the Government has adapted the application process to ensure that the funds go to the owners or occupiers of a property who have the project priced up and ready to go, rather than speculators looking to use a GDHIF voucher to tout for… Taylor Scott International
Taylor Scott International, Taylor Scott
