Rising energy bills are a cause for concern for many of us. The good news? The government has just officially launched the Warm Homes Plan, and it’s a massive win for anyone looking to make their home cheaper to run and cosier to live in. Here’s a quick summary of what’s changing and how you can get a piece of the £15 billion pie.
What’s different about the Warm Homes Plan?
For years, government schemes took a fabric first approach, focusing on improvements like loft insulation and double glazing. While that still matters, the new plan is all about electrification. The goal is to get solar panels and heat pumps into five million more homes by 2030. The focus is on us producing our own clean power rather than just trying to stop the old gas-heated air from escaping!
But how does this apply to me?
1. If you’re on a lower income… You might not have to pay a penny. There are fully-funded grants worth up to about £12,000. This can cover everything from solar panels and battery storage to high-tech heat pumps. If you’ve been struggling with high bills, this is designed to lift you out of that “fuel poverty” trap for good.
2. If you’re a “standard” homeowner… Even if you don’t qualify for a freebie, there’s a lot of help:
- Cheap Loans: A new £2 billion fund is launching to offer loans with 0% or very low interest. It’s designed so that the money you save on your monthly energy bill helps pay off the loan for the solar panels.
- £7,500 towards an Air-to-Water Heat Pump: If you replace your gas boiler with an ‘air-to-water’ heat pump to heat your hot water and radiators / underfloor heating, the government will pay £7,500 of the cost under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Costs are coming down all the time thanks to higher uptake so this will go further towards a new heat-pump than ever before. See our previous blog on heat pumps.
- £2,500 towards an Air-to-Air Heat Pump: There’s also a smaller grant of £2,500 for ‘air-to-air’ systems under the Boiler Upgrade System. These are basically air conditioning that can also heat your home efficiently in winter with cassettes at high level on the wall, rather than radiators. Air-to-air systems cannot heat your hot water so you will need something else for this.
Changes to EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates)
We’ve all seen those rainbow-coloured EPC graphs when buying or selling a house. They’re getting a makeover! Soon, they won’t just give you a single letter grade; they’ll tell you exactly how “Smart Ready” your home is and how well your walls actually hold heat. It’s all about making sure you know exactly what you’re buying.
How do I find a trustworthy Installer?
One of the best parts of the plan is the creation of a new Warm Homes Agency. They’ll provide a “one-stop shop” for advice and a list of vetted, reliable installers. No more worrying about whether the person fitting your solar panels knows what they’re doing. Meanwhile, we recommend that you look for an installer who is listed with Trustmark and certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.
What does this mean moving forward?
Britain’s electricity is getting greener and cleaner by the day, while gas is becoming more difficult and expensive for the country to source. Once the link is broken between electricity and gas costs, electricity will get cheaper and gas more expensive. Solar power isn’t just about being green; it’s a massive financial win. If you have your own panels, you’ve already won the game, slashing the cost of both your household energy and your travel if you run an electric car. Electrification is the key to keeping our homes warm and healthy for our families, creating better national energy security and protecting our beautiful planet both now and in the future. By 2030, the government’s goal is for UK homes to be some of the smartest and warmest in Europe!
Useful Links:
Warm Homes Plan https://www.gov.uk/government/news/families-to-save-in-biggest-home-upgrade-plan-in-british-history
Energy Saving Trust https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/what-the-warm-homes-plan-means-for-you/
Trustmark (Government Endorsed Quality) https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowner
Microgeneration Certification Scheme https://mcscertified.com/
The Environment Centre’s ‘My Home Made Better’ informative website and free advice line https://myhomemadebetter.org/
Downloadable leaflets from the Centre for Sustainable Energy https://www.cse.org.uk/resource/home-energy-advice-leaflets/
Money Saving Expert https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/heat-pumps-grant/
Heat Geek’s Zero Disrupt Heat Pump Installation https://go.heatgeek.com/help-centre/what-is-zerodisrupt
Hampshire Architect Heat Pumps Deep Dive https://hampshirearchitect.com/whats-all-the-hype-about-heat-pumps-and-is-it-worth-getting-one/