Microgeneration for your home

Householder frequently asked questions

  1. Who can apply for a grant?
    Individuals who own their own home and reside within England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland (excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands).
  2. What are the criteria for receiving a grant?
    The main criteria for householders are:
    1. Applicants must be the owners of and reside in the property for which the grant is applied (applicants who have leasehold ownership must have permission from the property freeholder).
    2. Applicants must be resident of, and the installation address be situated in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland (excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands).
    3. Systems must supply a permanent building (mobile homes, caravans, house boats etc. are not eligible).
    4. You have installed the basic level of energy efficiency measures as outlined on the energy efficiency page. You may be able to access grants for energy efficiency measures. More information can be found on the Energy Saving Trust's grants information database or call your local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012.
    5. You must have received planning permission for your installation or received confirmation from your local authority that it is not required.
    6. You must use an certified installer and certified products for your installation.
    7. You must not have commenced work on your installation prior to receiving a formal offer of grant from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

  3. Which technology is right for me?
    It depends on the location of your house and what you require from the system. For information on each microgeneration technology and their suitability please see the section on microgeneration technologies.

    If you would like to see case studies for previously funded microgeneration installations please click here.

  4. Can I apply more than once for more than one technology?
    Yes you can. You can apply for funding for up to 3 different technologies on one building, with a maximum of 3 different buildings funded (NB these have to be on separate applications). There is a maximum of £2,500 of funding available per installation address.
  5. Is there any guidance available for the online application system?
    Yes, please read the following guidance notes.
  6. What if I can’t install all of the energy efficiency measures?
    To be eligible for a Low Carbon Buildings Programme grant you must install the energy efficient measures detailed on the energy efficiency page. If you are unable to install all of these measures in full you will still be able to apply for a grant as long as a reasonable level of measures have been installed which are appropriate for your home.
  7. How long will it take to receive my grant payment?
    We aim to process grant claims within 25 working days of receipt of full claim documents. Currently our grant processing time is 25 working days as of 12th January 2010.
  8. I applied for a householder grant online and was successful. Why haven’t I received my email confirmation?
    You may have entered your email address incorrectly on the application form or if your email account has a spam filter your grant offer letter may be sent to your junk items box. If you have not received your grant offer letter within 3 working days and it is not in your junk items box please call our helpline on 0800 915 0990.

  9. I applied for a grant with a paper application. Why haven’t I received any response?
    Paper application forms will be processed within 5 working days of receipt. If you have given an email address on your application form and ticked to say you are happy to receive communications by email, any response to your application will be sent to that email address.

    If you do not have an email address a response will be sent by post to the correspondence address listed on your application form. Please call our helpline on 0800 915 0990 if you do not receive any response to your application.

  10. Where do I obtain a Low Carbon Buildings Programme completion certificate?
    This should be provided to you by your certified installer once they have completed and commissioned your installation. Your installer can download a template completion certificate from our website. To see what the completion certificate should look like, please click here. The installer must complete all details and have signed and dated the certificate.
  11. Can I still receive a grant if a non-certified installer performs the installation?
    Only if an certified installer commissions the system after the non-certified installer has finished the installation. In this case, the certified installer must fill out the completion certificate, and you must provide a suitable chain of invoices showing that all parties have been paid for the work they have carried out.
  12. I live in a house owned by the council; can I apply for a grant?
    Unfortunately you can’t apply for a grant. The council - as the owner of the building - may be able to apply for a grant under Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.
  13. I would like to install a microgeneration technology on my property, but I rent part of it out. Will I be eligible for a grant?
    It depends. In order to be eligible for a grant, the benefit of the system must be clearly accrued only to the domestic owner and resident. For example: you would like to install photovoltaic tiles on the ground floor extension of a property you own but let out the top floor. In this case, you will be eligible for a grant as long as you use the ground floor flat as a dwelling, and the electricity generated by the installation only benefits that flat (through separate metering).
  14. I received a grant under the old schemes (Clear Skies and PV schemes); can I have a grant from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme too?
    Yes, provided it is for another technology. You cannot have more than one grant from this or the previous programmes for the same technology.
  15. I live in Scotland; can I also get a grant from the schemes operating here?
    You will not be allowed to receive a grant from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme along with a grant from the Energy Saving Scotland home renewable programme (formerly known as the Scottish Community and Household Renewable Initiative SCHRI) for the same project or installation; i.e. double funding for projects will not be allowed for the same technology.
  16. Can I pay a deposit before I apply for my grant?
    Please note that any payment you make to your installer is done at your own risk. Grant assistance is not automatically guaranteed to all who make an application; we therefore advise applicants not to make any payments before the receipt of a grant offer. If you do pay a deposit please note that you must not commence work on your installation before receiving a formal offer of grant from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. Further advice regarding paying for your installation is detailed on the grants for your home page.

  17. Details of my application have changed; what can I do?
    If the details of your application have changed then you will need to contact us as soon as possible with the new details either by calling our helpline on 0800 915 0990 or emailing us at info@lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk.

    Please note: If the details of your application change substantially we may not be able to honour your original grant offer.

  18. How long must the microgeneration system operate to be eligible for the grant?
    The system installed must operate at the installation address for a minimum of 5 years from the date of the completion certificate. The Energy Saving Trust, or its authorised representative, may carry out a site inspection to ensure compliance of these programme conditions.
  19. What if I decide to sell my property before the 5 years are up?
    You must write to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme to inform us of this including the details of the person(s) that have bought the property. The new owner(s) must be made aware that the terms and conditions of grant will pass onto them.
  20. I can't find an installer for Fuel Cells, Renewable CHP or Micro CHP?
    MCS will accredit installers for these technologies but, as yet, no standards have been set for these technologies. Once the standards are set installers will be able to become certified.
  21. How many grants have been given so far?
    By clicking here you can view statistics on stream 1 - household grant applications by country and region.