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The government has greenlighted two new digital services aimed at helping landlords and homeowners make the most of energy-efficiency technology.
Housing Minister Christopher Pincher launched a new service for tenants and movers, making finding an energy performance certificate easier.
While Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick’s Green Grant Voucher scheme has also opened for applications – for landlords that can find an installer.
Pincher claims the new service will let landlords book energy performance certificates (EPCs) and check the energy efficiency of homes online.
The minister claims using the EPC to upgrade a home could save tenants up to £600 a year in energy costs.
“This new service is part of our commitment to improving the energy performance of all properties to create a cleaner, greener built environment,” said Pincher.
“It will help people to assess if they can improve the energy efficiency of their own homes – helping to improve the environment and save on bills.
“We are improving the quality of housing across the country by ensuring new homes adhere to strict energy efficiency standards and our Green Homes Grant helps to cover the cost of making energy efficient improvements to existing homes.”
Landlords should click here to go to the EPC booking link. To find an authorised assessor, enter the property's postcode needing the EPC or type the assessor’s name. Click ‘Find’, and the search should return the ten nearest assessors to the property.
A free, searchable online database of more than 27 million EPCs is available for anyone to access online. The data covers England and Wales, and properties in Scotland are listed under the Scottish Energy Certificate Service.
Alongside the online digital EPCs, Pincher announced a raft of changes to the service.
Full details of the changes and information about the 229 responses to a call for evidence about how EPCs are working were also published on the Ministry of Housing website
Landlords can claim up to £5,000 in energy-saving vouchers to help them make their homes warmer.
Around 620,000 homes in England qualify for cash help to instal green technology under the £3 billion government-backed scheme that aims to make the country carbon neutral by 2050.
Homeowners can pick up a grant worth around two-thirds of the cost of the green improvement. Landlords claiming the grant for adding extra loft and cavity wall insulation to a property that cost £4,000 would pay £1,320 towards the bill, with the government picking up the rest for £2,680.
The Green Homes Grant is open to private landlords who must own but do not have to live in the property where the improvements are carried out.
New homes that have never been lived in are barred from the scheme. The grant is doubled to £10,000 for low-income families, but this would not apply to landlords even if their tenants qualify under this rule.
The tenants cannot claim as the scheme is only open to property owners.
Landlords must go through three steps before applying for the Green Homes Grant voucher:
Go through the check-in procedure on the Simple Energy Advice website. To complete the form, landlords need to confirm the following:
After checking eligibility, the SEA website offers an energy efficiency plan, possible energy savings and costings based on the current energy performance certificate. The features are split between primary and secondary improvements.
Primary improvements are:
Providing at least one of these improvements is carried out, and landlords can go on to claim more cash towards secondary improvements like:
Go to the TrustMark website to find an authorised installer for the work. The government suggests getting three quotes for the job; DIY or installations by non-authorised installers are not allowed.
No work can take place until a Green Homes Grant voucher is issued. The voucher is restricted to the named landlord and installing a specific measure at a designated property. If more than one installation occurs, each will have a voucher. Once the work is complete, to redeem the voucher, landlords must:
Fraud prevention service Cifas has cautioned landlords and homeowners against scammers selling fake Green Homes Grant vouchers. The fraudsters cold call victims to tell them they are eligible for the £5,000 vouchers and direct them to bogus websites to make an application.
The website asks for personal and financial details that the scammers try to use to obtain money.
Amber Burridge, the Cifas head of fraud intelligence said: "Stop and think carefully before responding to unsolicited calls, texts or emails, and always challenge requests for personal or financial information.
"Never feel rushed or pressured into a decision – it’s a well-known tactic that only criminals will use."
Going green to make homes more energy efficient is a key government policy, and the EPC is seen as a vital tool in identifying improvements for a home. The £5,000 Green Homes Grant incentivises landlords and other property owners to act.
For landlords wanting to take advantage of the scheme, here are the answers to some most asked questions.
Yes. Landlords are not restricted to a single grant and can claim vouchers of up to £5000 for each home in their portfolio, providing the qualifying conditions are met for each.
No. The income test only applies to the property owner, and landlords are excluded from claiming the higher value voucher.
Yes. The qualifying factor for the Green Homes Grant is the property's location, not where the landlord lives.
All rental properties in England should have a current EPC by law. Rectify the situation by commissioning one straight away. Landlords without an EPC may find that this impacts serving an eviction notice.
If your property is barred from rental because it fails to meet the minimum energy efficiency rating of E, you cannot apply for a Green Homes Grant. Energy efficiency standards should be raised to meet the E rating.
All Green Home Grant improvements must be completed and vouchers redeemed by March 31, 2021.
No. Current EPCs remain valid, and any changes will automatically apply to new EPCs as they become due for renewal or on the sale of a home.