£10k green grants to insulate family homes

FAMILIES will be given grants of up to £10,000 to insulate their homes as part of a £3billion energy efficiency plan.

Rishi Sunak said the scheme for homes and public buildings will support 140,000 jobs and cut carbon emissions. And the Chancellor promised his new ‘green homes grant’ could save homeowners up to £300 every year in heating bills.

From September, the Government will provide vouchers for homeowners and landlords to cover at least two-thirds of the costs of insulation and other energy-efficiency measures, up to £5,000.

Some of the lowest income households will he handed the full costs of energy efficiency refits – paid up to £10,000.

The money can be spent on cavity wall and floor insulation, as well as double glazing.

The Chancellor said rebooting the economy after the pandemic ‘is going to be a green recovery with concern for the environment at its heart’. Campaigners welcomed the move to invest in energy efficiency, but warned levels of funding were well below what was needed to address the climate and nature crises.

In his statement to the Commons, Mr Sunak confirmed plans for a £2billion green homes grant. Under the scheme, a homeowner of a semi-detached or end-of-terrace house could install cavity wall and floor insulation for about £4,000 – the owner would pay £1,320 to the Government’s £2,680.

There will also be £1billion to improve the energy efficiency of schools, hospitals, prisons, military bases and other public buildings using, for example, low-carbon heating – and £50million to pilot ways to cut carbon from social housing. Mr Sunak said the measures would make 650,000 homes more energy efficient, save households up to £300 annually, cut carbon emissions by 500,000 tons and support 140,000 jobs. He added: ‘As well as investing in infrastructure, we want to create green jobs.’

Though it was welcomed as a ‘strong start’ by Greenpeace, the environmental group warned more funding and investment is needed in homes and areas such as clean transport and the power sector. Rosie Rogers of Greenpeace UK said: ‘All roads must now lead to a green recovery – there is no alternative option,’ and called for a ‘£15billion cash injection’ for green projects.

There have been calls for a green recovery, including demands for the Government to deliver on its £9.2billion pledge for energy efficiency and to ensure business bailouts have ‘green strings’ attached.