UK Double Glazing Grants 2021 – Updated September 2021
This article has been updated in September 2021. Well … what a year 2020 was for us all. Who could have seen THAT coming! 2021 didn’t start any better with a third UK lockdown being enforced. At last things are improving though and I feel it’s time to draw a line and look at the outlook for UK double glazing grants for the remainder of 2021 and into 2022.
We’re not out of the Covid-19 woods yet but, with the vaccine rollout being so successful, one would like to think that we’re starting getting back to a degree of permanent normality in H2 2021. Already there’s a very high focus on economic recovery. In turn this means we may see a variety of measures and incentives introduced to kick-start to economy.
Let’s not forget Brexit too – that’s out of the way now and we all know where we stand!
Will this mean that a new dawn of UK double glazing grants 2021 are a real possibility? Don’t hold your breath!
So … what do we know for certain so far?
One of the biggest incentives towards energy efficient home inprovements was the launch of the Green Homes Grant in England. However, like so many similar initiatives before, the Green Homes Grant scheme has been prematurely axed and no applications have been acceped after 31st March 2021. To be honest though – it was never going to make a masive impact to the double glazing UK market. Read the full feature on this: Double Glazing Grants – The Green Homes Grant Axed.
Green Homes Grant 2021
I’ll explain what it is / was though. We announced the arrival of the Green Homes Grant back in mid-2020. This was followed this up by our announcment of the fact that it was being axed with effect from 1st April 2021. No further applications were accepted from this date.
To remind ourselves of what it was, how it worked and how it applied to double glazing grants in 2021:
The Green Homes Grant was a Government backed initiative aimed at kick-starting the economy by supporting energy efficient home improvements in England (thus supporting the drive for carbon saving too). It means that homeowners can apply for vouchers of up to £10,000 which can be used as part-payment for qualifying home improvements when carried out by registered tradespeople.
In real terms for the majority the maximum value of these vouchers will only be £5,000. To qualify for the additional grant the applicant must be in the low income owner occupier category and in receipt of income-based or disability benefits. Still … even a grant of £5,000 can go along way!
The burning question then – does it cover double glazing grants? The answer is yes … but with caveats so not in most cases.
How It Worked
The way the grant worked was as follows:
- You first had to visit the official Simple Energy Advice website and fill in the questionnaire about your property. This will then tell you which improvement measures are going to be eligible for grant funding.
- You then selected at least one primary measure consisting of:
- Insulation, including solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation.
- Low carbon heating systems such as air source or ground source heat pumps.
- Solar thermal systems which basically means solar panels.
- This enabled you to then select secondary measures up to the same value as the primary measures you’ve already selected. These included:
- Double glazing, triple glazing or secondary glazing.
- An upgrade to energy efficient doors.
- Thermostats and heating controls for hot water and appliance tanks.
- The site then confirmed all eligible measures, the approximate cost and the resulting savings.
- You were then directed to the Green Homes Grant application website where you can apply for the voucher.
- You were then able to start obtaining quotes from Trustmarked installers in readiness for them to carry out the installation on receipt of the voucher.
Green Homes Double Glazing Grants 2021
We said that double glazing grants were available as a secondary measure however, there were caveats which meant that it was never going to be good for many of us:
- Draft proofing is a secondary measure.
- Double glazing grants are available but only when upgrading from single glazing. They did not cover the cost of replacing existing or even substandard double glazed units
- Energy efficient replacement doors are covered though – as long as they were replacing single glazed or solid doors which were installed before 2002
So that’s what you had to consider – if you currently had single glazing or if you have solid doors from pre 2002 then your luck’s in!
Green Homes Grant 2021 – Changes
As with many of these initiatives there were teething problems. There was a delay in getting the vouchers out to people and there was also a problem with a low number of Trustmark contractors in relation to the sheer volume of enquiries coming in. Initially this worked in our favour because the scheme, which was designed as just a short term initiative, wasn extended. Initially measures had to be installed by April 2021, the extension meant that it was going to go right through to 31st March 2022.
Plenty of time to check this out and for applications then! Our initial recommendation was that if you had single glazing or pre 2002 solid doors to getan application in as there’s double glazing grants to be had!
To get started eligibility was checked at: https://www.gov.uk/
Then applications were made at: https://www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/
Green Homes Grant – Update
Rumours began circulating in March 2021 that the Green Homes Grant was to be pulled completely. We were initially able to confirm that it WILL continue until the end of March 2022 as planned. However, funding was to be significantly reduced. Originally the Government set aside £2 billion which, it was assumed, could be taken at any time before the end of the scheme. Changes to the funding mean that the £2 billion is to be taken in the 2020/21 tax year and any money not taken won’t be carried over into 2021/22. That said, there was still money set aside for the 2021/22 tax year though, £320 million to be precise. It was still good but significantly less than we were expecting. For that reason we suggested you get your applications in sooner rather than later to ensure you secure your voucher.
Green Homes Grant – Additional Update April 2021
Then out of the blue came a complete about turn! In spite of initial Government assurances a last minute u-turn meant that the Green Homes Grant scheme was axed with (virtually) immediate effect from April 2021. Read our feature entitled Double Glazing Grants 0 The Green Homes Grant Axed for full information.
Impact On Double Glazing Grants 2021
Let’s face it, unless you were looking to upgrade from single glazing, the Green Homes Grant Scheme was never going to provide any form of double glazing grants in the UK. For that reason the impact was pretty insignificant. We have to sympathise with those organisations who installed primary measures though. Especially those who invested heavily in Trustmark Accreditation and in strengthening their business to support the scheme as they’ve been left high and dry … again!
2021 Industry Outlook … It’s Busy!
The building industry as a whole has gone ballistic. It seems like the whole country is wanting to get those projects started now that we can again. Major new build, social refurbishment along with home improvements and DIY … it’s all happening at once!
As a result of demand and the impact of the pandemic certain materials are in short supply. Particularly timber, steel, cement, paint and chipboard at the moment. Certain raw materials are also in short supply which means that prices have risen significantly. Add this to the fact that most reputable builders have full order books and enough work to see them through the next six months or so and you’ll begin to understand that if you’re thinking about double glazing it’s still worth getting the quotes but you may want to consider delaying until the supply chain calms down later this year.
And let’s no forget, it’s a sellers market right now and there’s nothing in the current pipeline in respect of double glazing grants either. That may or may not change but we understand the Government to be examining various initiative to support the UK construction market and it’s carbon emissions target to become net zero by 2050. Watch this space
All that said, there are still some initiatives that may help with the cost of double glazing in 2021. Read on to find out what these are.
Double Glazing Grants 2021 – What Else?
Great Britain
ECO3 is the third phase of the governments Energy Company Obligation policy which will run until March 2022. The purpose is to deliver energy efficiency and heating improvement measures to homes across Great Britain. The main focus is on property owners on low income, who are vulnerable and those in fuel poverty so it’s not going to be for the majority.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO3) consultation sets out the policy of the scheme that will run from Autumn 2018 until March 2022. The scheme delivers energy efficiency and heating measures to homes in Great Britain.
ECO3 Policies:
- focus is on property owners on low income, who are vulnerable and those in fuel poverty
- reducing the current supplier obligation threshold of 250,000 customer accounts (or equivalent) for the scheme, in a phased way, to 150,000 customer accounts (or equivalent) from 2020
- requiring 15% of measures to be delivered to rural homes
- increasing the proportion of the scheme that can be delivered under local authority flexible eligibility to 25%
- allowing up to 10% of a suppliers’ obligation to be met through the delivery of new, innovative products
- supporting households that have a broken heating system by allowing the equivalent of 35,000 broken heating systems to be replaced per year
- encouraging a multiple measure approach by allowing the replacement of inefficient heating systems to be replaced if they are installed alongside insulation
- requiring the equivalent of at least 17,000 solid walled homes to be treated per year, either through solid wall insulation, or using a combination of other technologies
If you think you may be eligible you can check it out at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/
Scotland
The picture remains different north of the border with the Greener Scotland initiative run by the Scottish Government continuing. There are 3 main options:
The Options:
1 – Warmer Homes Scotland:
“designed to help vulnerable people make their homes warmer and more comfortable by installing a range of energy saving measures.” It helps by: “offering assistance to homeowners and private sector tenants struggling to heat their home, who have lived in their property for at least 12 months, and who meet the qualifying criteria.” Double glazing grants are not ruled out of this scheme. To find out more and to access funding call the Home Energy Scotland hotline: 0808 808 2282. Click Here >>>.
2 – Area Based Schemes:
There are a number of localised funding schemes which are dependent on where you live. To see what’s available in your particular area contact Home Energy Scotland from the Scottish Government. You can either call them on 0808 808 2282 or you can visit their website https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/ . It’s an excellent website which includes a very handy Funding Finder tool. Just answer the questions and it will let you know what funding or grants are available in your area. Click Here >>>
3 – Interest Free Loans:
If you own your own property in Scotland you can apply for a loan of up to £15,000 for home energy improvements. Of course this is not a double glazing grant but, make the right measures and the energy savings along with the increased value of your property should neutralise the cost of the loan. This is similar to the principle of the defunct Green Deal in England a few years ago. This is the next best thing to a double glazing grant we feel and, you’ll be pleased to know that double glazing IS included and listed as a primary measure and therefore eligible for up to £4,500 of funding. Find out More >>>.
Northern Ireland
We’re expecting more initiatives to follow but, at the moment in Northern Ireland homeowners can get repair and improvement grants from the Housing Executive, but only in certain circumstances. The Disabled Facilities Grant scheme and Mandatory Repair Grants scheme continue as per last year. They are not however linked to home energy efficiency initiatives. Find Out More >>>.
When you’re looking for double glazing grants or any other form of energy saving subsidy a good starting point is the Housing Executive NI Energy Advice Line. It’s specifically established to provide: “independent and impartial energy advice to domestic householders in Northern Ireland plus referrals to energy grants and other sources of help in the region.”
There’s a specific section on energy efficient grants ( Click Here ) which will be worth keeping an eye on as any grants that come available should be detailed here.
Wales
Again, we can report little change in Wales with the continuation of the Welsh Government’s Warm Home Program.
Under this initiative are two seperate programs:
NEST is an initiative which is aimed at solid wall or hard to treat properties which are privately owned. At least one resident has to be in receipt of a means tested benefit. Under the improvement measures there is no mention of double glazing grants but it may be worth a discussion or finding out more. Click Here >>>.
The alternative ARBED scheme also continues. This scheme tackles a number of refurbishment improvements to properties. Again though, there’s no specific mention of double glazing grants but it does refer to draft proofing measures. Find out more about ARBED HERE >>>.
UK Double Glazing Grants 2021 – What Next
The UK double glazing industry is lobbying the Government hard. Like most, this industry has been hit hard and would benefit from support in getting it back on its feet again. The Green Homes Grant helped slightly for a while but not enough for the general UK double glazing market.
Interest rates remain low and are likely to do so for some time however. This means that, double glazing grants or no double glazing grants, there could be some amazing deals for homeowners. Especially when the current pent up high demand dies down. We’re seeing low prices, price matches, interest free credit which can be spread over several years, trade in recycle deals on existing double glazing etc. We don’t see this changing in 2021 either so it could be a great year to replace or upgrade existing double glazing too.