17-July-2020
The Uk Government has announced that every homeowner can now claim £5000 energy saving vouchers. The most vulnerable households will be able to claim up to £10,000 to help their houses to become more environmentally friendly.
The grants will be part of a wider £3 billion investment in green technology. £1 billion of this investment will be spent on revamping the public buildings and social housing, including low carbon heating for schools, hospitals, prisons, military bases and other public buildings and £50 million to pilot ways to cut carbon from social housing. The other £2 billion will go towards the vouchers and making homes more energy-efficient. The Uk is aiming to go carbon neutral by 2050. The energy-saving vouchers include upgrades such as insulation, double glazing, low-energy lighting and energy-efficient doors.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said “funding for home insulation, such as loft insulation and triple glazing installation, will protect jobs and help reduce energy bills.”
The £3 billion investment will also provide extra work for plumbers, builders, electricians and other tradesmen to help recover the economy due to to the Covid-19 pandemic. It will help create more than 100,000 green jobs and kickstart the economy.
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak said “From September, 2020 homeowners and landlords will be able to apply for vouchers to make their homes more energy efficient and create local jobs. The grants will cover at least two thirds of the cost, up to £5000 per household and for low income households, we’ll go even further with vouchers covering the full cost up to £10,000. This is a policy which is about putting money into people’s pockets, they will be able to save hundreds of pounds a year in terms of lower energy costs.”
Homeowners and landlords will be able to access a website from September, 2020 with various options for making their home more energy efficient. There will also be a list of accredited suppliers on the website, which the Government says will create work for tradesmen.
