The government’s new Green Homes Grant scheme is one every English homeowner should check out.

It may provide serious free cash for insulation, double glazing, and a host of other things that will improve the energy efficiency of your home and your home’s value.

That’s the good news, the bad, is the scheme has some systemic design flaws that many will find deeply frustrating. Let me take you through it.

Launched just before the start of the month, the Green Homes Grant is… - Available to all English homeowners (including park homes) and residential landlords apart from unoccupied new builds.

- It gives grants (ie non repayable) of up to £5,000 per household to cover two thirds of the cost of labour, materials, and VAT of installing certain energy efficient measures. So, if the installation costs £7,500, you’ll get a £5,000 voucher from the Government and you pay the remaining £2,500.

- Those on certain benefits (e.g. housing benefit, universal credit and pension ‘guaranteed’ credit) can claim up to £10,000, which covers the entire cost, you pay nothing.

- You only have until 31 March 2021, to get the installation completed, that may not be easy for everyone.

That’s the qualifications, but this scheme isn’t simply a case of you get what you want. There are two categories of home improvements which interrelate.

You must install a PRIMARY improvement

You can only access the scheme if you need what the Government calls a 'primary' improvement. These must be new or a top up. It can’t replace what you have already. These are:

• Insulation: including solid wall, cavity wall, underfloor, loft or roof. Insulation for a park home is also included.

• Low-carbon heating: including air-source, ground-source and hybrid heat pumps, solar thermal systems and biomass boilers, which provide renewable ways of heating your home.

You can install more than one improvement (and they can be via different tradespeople) but the total voucher you’ll receive is maximum £5,000.

If you get a primary instalment you can get up to same amount for SECONDARY improvements

Once you’ve installed the primary improvement, you’ll then be able to get a voucher up to the same amount for a secondary improvement (ie get £1,000 primary voucher, you can get an up to £1,000 secondary voucher). These include…

• Windows & doors… draught proofing, double/triple/secondary glazing (only if replacing single), energy efficient replacement doors.

• Heating controls & insulation… hot water tank thermostat & insulation, smart heating controls, thermostatic radiator valves etc.

How to apply for the vouchers

It’s an online system. I asked the Department for BEIS how those who don’t have access to the internet can use it, it said to get them to ask friends or family to help (but not installers).

1) First use the www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk eligibility checker, to see what may be available to you. It’ll show registered local tradespeople (who must be Trustmark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme registered).

2) Then get quotes from tradespeople - the Government recommends at least three. Try avoid any firms that ask you to pay for quotes. And do check prices compared to doing it outside the scheme. Plus, worth noting installers can’t ask for a deposit larger than your contribution.

3) Only then can you apply via www.gov.uk/apply-green-homes-grant. If successful you’ll then be emailed a voucher. And ensure you only start the work once you’ve received the voucher, as the Govt says you can’t claim for any work that’s started before the voucher is issued.

The scheme isn’t flawless and I’m hearing of many issues

Whilst the Green Home Grants scheme may provide serious free cash, there are three major issues I keep hearing about.

The most obvious, and in some ways least worrying, is that many people want 'secondary improvements' without getting 'primary ones'. Well, while that may not feel fair, it's not a flaw, it's a deliberate design. Grants are primarily targeted at encouraging people to improve insulation and low-carbon heating measures, so you have to get one of those or you can't do owt else.

The other two issues are closely related and more concerning.

1) A decent number are struggling to find approved local installers. One person in the south-east of England emailed my TV show to say their nearest installer shown on the Government system was 250 miles away in Blackpool (feels a bit like getting a Covid test).

2) Some of those who do find an installer are then being told they won't be able to complete the work within the six-month deadline, rendering the scheme useless.

These are both symptoms of the fact there aren't enough registered installers on stream at launch. According to the Government, 900 firms are signed up to the scheme, many with national reach. It tells me that they are constantly working to add more. And that makes sense – ultimately the primary stated purpose of offering the Green Homes Grant was to create jobs.

Many may think: 'No problem, I'll just wait until more installers are on board, it'll be fine'. Except there is only £2 billion of funding available, and while that sounds a lot, it could go very quickly – so there is an urgency to doing this, but not enough installers. It's a vicious circle.

My hope is the government will spread the roll out and extend the installation time so more people can access this, any updates will go in www.moneysavingexpert.com/GreenGrants.

What about those in other parts of the UK?

There’s no direct equivalent to this scheme. Most of those available are restricted to those with low incomes or on benefits. These include -

Scotland: The energysavingtrust.org.uk administers the warmer homes scheme that offers financial help towards installing measures such as wall and loft insulation and draught-proofing. - Wales: The nest.gov.wales/en scheme offers free energy efficiency improvements, such as insulation and new boilers, for those who either receive a means-tested benefit or have a low income and a chronic respiratory, circulatory or mental health condition.

Northern Ireland: Those with income under £40,000 may be able to get grants towards replacing inefficient boilers over 15 years old via www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/grant-to-replace-your-boiler and also check out the Affordable Warmth Scheme.

Martin Lewis is the Founder and Chair of MoneySavingExpert.com.

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