Your home is the biggest investment you’ll make and nowadays it’s more expensive than ever to relocate. As such, many homeowners are opting to stay put and improve their property rather than pay out on expenses such as solicitors and estate agents to move to a new home.
But if you stay put it’s important not to just sit on your laurels. Improving your home is a great way to increase value and make money in the future. And you don’t always have to spend your own money because there are a number of schemes and grants to help out.
Offset the cost of improving your home with UK grants. Below you can find out the latest grants and schemes available to you, so find out if you qualify.
The Warm Front Scheme
The Warm Front is a Government-funded scheme for homeowners and private tenants in England:
- The scheme helps with improvements towards heating and home insulation
- You can benefit from grants worth up to £3,500
- Improvements on offer include cavity wall insulation, loft lagging, hot water tank insulation and draught proofing
- The scheme is open to those receiving benefits, those who are pregnant or have children under 16 and those over 60.
The Scottish Boiler Scrappage
- With this scheme you have an opportunity to replace your old and inefficient boiler with an Energy Saving Trust recommended one
- Grants worth £400 are available to those living in Scotland.
Energy supplier grants
Since January 2013 the Energy Company Obligation came into being, whereby energy companies are responsible for helping consumers with home efficiency. As such, grants may be available from your supplier:
- There are a number of efficiency measures included under the scheme, such as loft insulation and wall cavity insulation
- Grants are also available for homeowners with hard to heat properties, if there is a saving to be made on energy bills.
Feed-in tariffs
The feed-in tariff is a Government scheme to support the uptake of renewable technology such as solar panels. If you have solar panels installed:
- Earn money for every unit of electricity you produce with your solar panels
- Make a significant return on investment with renewables
- There are greater profits available for a larger system.
Grants from Home Improvement agencies (HIA)
HIA grants are available for:
- The elderly and disabled
- Low income earners
HIA will also provide advice on home improvements and assist with grant application.
Winter fuel payments
Tax free payments are available over the winter months in Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
- People over 60 years of age receive £250
- People over 80 years of age receive £400
Payments are automatically sent if you receive a benefit, so it’s important to apply if you aren’t in receipt of benefits.
The Renewable Heat Incentive
The Renewable Heat Incentive is a new scheme focussed on supporting homeowners with renewable heat technologies such as heat pumps and solar thermal panels. It’s similar to the feed-in tariff scheme
- Cash payments are available for seven years, paying you for the renewable heat generated at home
- With the RHI you can make a significant profit on your initial investment
The Green Deal
This is the Government’s flagship energy efficiency programme, to help homeowners all over the UK with their home inefficiency. Loans are available, which are paid back with the savings you make on bills.
- Loans of up to £6,000 are available to homeowners and landlords
- Loans can help to cover loft lagging, wall insulation, boilers and solar panels
- An energy assessment details the areas of the home that can be improved
- Pay back the loan with the money saved on expensive energy bills.