Jump to content

Green Home Grant application - have you had a response?


joth

Recommended Posts

The green home grant opened for applications on 30 Sept and I applied that very same morning (for my ASHP install), but haven't even had a courtesy response email (as was promised in the final page of the application process). I've emailed them my application confirmation number and again no response

 

Just checking if anyone else on the internet has applied, and what if any response you got? (Even if just an automated confirmation of application received)

 

The whole scheme only runs 6 months so clock is really ticking for anyone trying to use it. 

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/apply-green-homes-grant

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Exactly the same for us. Applied at 7:30am on the 30th, no email confirmation  & no response to email.

 

I also filled in their web "contact us" page and got a response today:

"

Sorry to hear that you have not received confirmation of your application to join the Green Home Grant Scheme. We are receiving an extremely high volume of applications at the moment and this has meant there may be a slight delay in a confirmation email being sent out. Please continue to check your emails (including Spam/Junk), and it should be with you in 10-12 working days. 

 

Just to let you know, from the 18th October the applicants portal will be accessible. You will be able to check or amend your personal details like your email address at this time."

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do we know who's running the show?

 

Due to family issues I've been dealing with quite a few agencies, companies and gov departments recently and just about everywhere seems to be running with backlogs many weeks longer than normal. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

They say 50mm of CWI and 300 loft insulation 

 

insufficient on both counts 

 

wall insulation is needed yes and should be done, I would say 200mm

 

last lofts I did were 36 Almshouse flats £7k for top up to 300 but I asked for 400mm —. Same price! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 05/10/2020 at 19:04, will_k said:

 

Just to let you know, from the 18th October the applicants portal will be accessible

 

Has anyone seen any sign of this GHG portal arriving yet?

 

There's constant adverts on the radio for the grants - wish they'd spend the money on actually making them work rather than recruiting more mugs to a nonexistent scheme.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 05/11/2020 at 08:02, joth said:

Has anyone seen any sign of this GHG portal arriving yet?

 

 

Well no sign of the portal still, but I just received the first process progress update from them. Very non-committal... 

 

Thank you for applying to the Green Homes Grant Scheme. Vouchers are now being issued. Homeowners whose vouchers meet the required criteria can expect to receive vouchers within the coming weeks. However, we are finding that many voucher applications are incomplete and require more information in order to be approved. As we work through voucher applications, we will contact you to gather any further information required to support your application for a Green Homes Grant voucher.

You will receive a separate voucher for each of the measures that you have applied to install.

You can only begin work once your voucher has been issued. Any work that was started before that date cannot be claimed under the Green Homes Grant Scheme.

You do not need to do anything in response to this email

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Today's update.

 

Adding a year on the scheme they can now take months longer to issue vouchers, which increases odds people give up waiting and either just pay up front for things they are on a timeline to install, or lose interest (by home owner or the installer) so it never gets done

 

 
blocked GOV.UK
 
 
 
 
 

Thank you for applying to the Green Homes Grant Scheme.

We are pleased to inform you that the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, that was due to end in March 2021, will be extended by 12 months until the end of March 2022. This was announced today as part of the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. You can find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/green-homes-grant-extended-for-extra-year.

For you as a homeowner who’s applied for the scheme, this means that you have longer to get work done before the scheme ends. Green Homes Grant vouchers will remain valid for three months from the date they are issued or until 31 March 2022, whichever is earlier, and need to be redeemed before the end date on each one. Homeowners can request an extension for circumstances outside of their control.

We are continuing to issue vouchers to homeowners whose applications meet the required criteria. You’ll remember that last week we wrote to you to tell you that we are finding many voucher applications are incomplete and require more information in order to be approved.

A common reason for applications not meeting the requirements is due to quotes not containing the correct information. The quote you receive from your installer should include:

  • Business name and contact details
  • Company registration and VAT numbers (if applicable)
  • Your name/address/contact details
  • Full breakdown of works, including enabling works (e.g. scaffolding, lowering of the level of ground water) including costs
  • Any guarantee/warranty you will be providing
  • Payment terms (how/when will customer have to pay)
  • How long the job will take (hours)
  • Total price (incl. VAT for domestic customers)
  • Any delivery costs
  • Any deposit needed
  • Details of stage payments (if agreed)
  • Any access needed (e.g. to water/electricity)

If your quote does not include all of these things, your application will likely be delayed and you will be asked to provide more information. If you think this could apply to you, go back and check your quote. Ask your installer to provide you with an updated quote and once you have it, email it to customer@green-homes-grant.service.gov.uk along with your voucher ID or grant application reference number. The team will then update your application for you with the new quote and it will be processed.

As a reminder, you will receive a separate voucher for each of the measures that you have applied to install.

Sincerely,
Green Homes Grant Scheme

 
 
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve seen on another group installers saying that the vouchers are beginning to arrive. That was 2 days ago. Most haven’t heard anything yet though. I think installers are getting peed off with it as much as customers from the comments. They are not allowed to see a penny until the end of the project either I believe so they are at the mercy of customers not paying up and the government taking ages to pay. Plus they have lots of people saying I want an ASHP and ST and it must all be less than 10k. 
 


 

 

51CD2CF0-91A1-4B50-AFF7-2C3339944725.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
4 hours ago, newhome said:

Allegedly there are 40,000 applications to the GHG scheme and 400 vouchers have been approved so far ?

Just got informed my Ecodan R32 is ready to ship Monday and they need payment now else I'll lose my place in the queue and probably won't get one this winter as they're not taking new orders.

So my GHG application will be wasted effort for whoever eventually processes it, given I don't even have a way to cancel it. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

Maybe OT: Is there a minimum level of EPC required in order to get a grant for a heat pump under GHG?

Not as such, but you are supposed to first complete  the energy savings trust questionnaire on what measures are suitable for your home and that might have a built in limit on EPC

https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/green-homes-grant-scheme/

 

I had to run through the survey a few times as we're mid-renovation, if I gave before vs after figures it gives very different recommendations.

In the end, the grant application merely asked me to confirm I'd done the survey, not for any evidence as to what it had suggested me

Edited by joth
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

So 3 months after applying, I finally got a personalized response, at 9.30pm on Christmas Eve!  On further inspection it looks like a automated email trying to just bat away more applications into the long grass no doubt hoping we give up. It's complete nonsense as the quote I provided was 30% less than any other obtained, included all the information they're requesting, and is only high due to the costs of their own stupid MCS tax. 

Interested if others received this same present this morning ?

 

Happy Christmas!

 

 

Full text:

 

Thank you for submitting your Green Homes Grant application with the reference number xxx for the property at yyy. During our initial review of your application, we encountered the problems below that are delaying approval of your voucher.

 

Upon review of your application, the quote you submitted for Air source heat pump is higher than we would have expected based on average prices for work of this kind. There may be good reasons for this, such as a larger or more complex installation than usual, and you should ask your installer for a written explanation. To speed up processing your application, please provide us with your installer’s response and, if you are unsure, do seek an alternative quote.

 

Quotes for work within the scheme should include the following information:

 

Company name and contact details

Company registration and VAT numbers (if applicable)

Your name, address and contact details

Full breakdown of works, including enabling works (e.g. scaffolding, lowering of the level of ground water) including costs

Any relevant guarantee or warranty

Payment terms (how/when will customer have to pay)

How long the job will take (hours)

Total price (including VAT for domestic customers)

Any delivery costs

Any deposit needed

Details of stage payments (if agreed)

Any access needed (e.g. to water/electricity)

Once we have received this information, we can continue processing your voucher application which is currently on hold. If we don’t hear from you within 30 days, we will close your application and you would need to submit a new application to forget a Green Homes Grant.

 

Please submit the requested information to zzz and include your application reference number. If anything is not clear or you require further information, please contact the Green Homes Grant Scheme customer contact team on zzz.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@joth what price did you have? We are due to submit one today for a 13kw heat pump at 11.5k including VAT this was the cheapest quote we could find only two firms would even get back to us.. Just wondering if we should also prepare to be stuffed given application is only now going in!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The installer had to resend the quote yesterday as soon as I mentioned we wanted to apply ASAP for the grant, it’s a pretty lengthy detailed breakdown so I am wondering whether they are already dealing with these issues on other submissions, couldn’t quite figure out how it differed from the first quote letter as it looked pretty similar but they said we’d need to use this one for the application! Installers must also be getting irritated as  they said it was a much more difficult submission than RHI which sounds bad enough ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, rh2205 said:

@joth what price did you have? We are due to submit one today for a 13kw heat pump at 11.5k including VAT this was the cheapest quote we could find only two firms would even get back to us.. Just wondering if we should also prepare to be stuffed given application is only now going in!

8.5kW ecodan R32 heat pump and 300L Oso tank for £8,200 Inc VAT installed (and including commissioning the new UFH and fan coil). Compared to 12+13k£ I was being quoted by other companies I thought it pretty damn good. We're in the over priced south East (Herts)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, joth said:

8.5kW ecodan R32 heat pump and 300L Oso tank for £8,200 Inc VAT installed (and including commissioning the new UFH and fan coil). Compared to 12+13k£ I was being quoted by other companies I thought it pretty damn good. We're in the over priced south East (Herts)

 

 

 


That sounds like a decent quote. My quote for the same kit (more or less) without the VAT is £10,852. 


If it’s any consolation they sent a ton of these emails yesterday. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This all sounds a bit crap then! Ours includes 300l tank, buffer tank, full commissioning, concrete base etc. We are in Cambridge & most stuff is a rip off so I’m not expecting any better elsewhere even if someone was interested in pricing for it which most aren’t as there’s too much commercial green building work nearby. @joth be interested to know your installer as they might travel our way!! But maybe not at that price.. would rather be left with a cheaper install if this won’t pay out though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 25/12/2020 at 09:13, joth said:

So 3 months after applying, I finally got a personalized response, at 9.30pm on Christmas Eve!  On further inspection it looks like a automated email trying to just bat away more applications into the long grass no doubt hoping we give up. It's complete nonsense as the quote I provided was 30% less than any other obtained, included all the information they're requesting, and is only high due to the costs of their own stupid MCS tax. 

Interested if others received this same present this morning ?

 

Happy Christmas!

 

 

Full text:

 

Thank you for submitting your Green Homes Grant application with the reference number xxx for the property at yyy. During our initial review of your application, we encountered the problems below that are delaying approval of your voucher.

 

Upon review of your application, the quote you submitted for Air source heat pump is higher than we would have expected based on average prices for work of this kind. There may be good reasons for this, such as a larger or more complex installation than usual, and you should ask your installer for a written explanation. To speed up processing your application, please provide us with your installer’s response and, if you are unsure, do seek an alternative quote.

 

Quotes for work within the scheme should include the following information:

 

Company name and contact details

Company registration and VAT numbers (if applicable)

Your name, address and contact details

Full breakdown of works, including enabling works (e.g. scaffolding, lowering of the level of ground water) including costs

Any relevant guarantee or warranty

Payment terms (how/when will customer have to pay)

How long the job will take (hours)

Total price (including VAT for domestic customers)

Any delivery costs

Any deposit needed

Details of stage payments (if agreed)

Any access needed (e.g. to water/electricity)

Once we have received this information, we can continue processing your voucher application which is currently on hold. If we don’t hear from you within 30 days, we will close your application and you would need to submit a new application to forget a Green Homes Grant.

 

Please submit the requested information to zzz and include your application reference number. If anything is not clear or you require further information, please contact the Green Homes Grant Scheme customer contact team on zzz.

I got the exact same reply at the same time on xmas eve.  it's clearly IMO a stalling tactic.  So frustrating as I think we'll lose our slot with our installer if nothing happens soon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 25/12/2020 at 09:13, joth said:

So 3 months after applying, I finally got a personalized response, at 9.30pm on Christmas Eve!  On further inspection it looks like a automated email trying to just bat away more applications into the long grass no doubt hoping we give up.


From a heat pump group apparently they have admitted on the phone to sending many of these emails in error. It’s a pity that they haven’t managed to send an apology out as yet! 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...