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Government Grants for Park Homes: Your Ultimate Guide (2024)
- Park homes are unique, as the homeowners do not own the land their park home sits on, but just the house itself.
- The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) provide insulation grants for park homes.
- External wall insulation for a park home can reduce overall heat loss by an impressive 50%, leading to big energy bill savings.
Park homes are a unique and affordable means of home ownership that, according to the UK Government, comprise up to 159,000 UK-wide residencies. These handy mobile homes are usually located in designated park home residential addresses (pitches) that are rented monthly, as park homeowners do not own the land their home is based on.
However, like any residency, park homes can also suffer from poor insulation, leading to high energy bills, an uncomfortable living environment, and a mounting carbon footprint. Luckily, the UK’s government grant schemes also offer extensive insulation assistance to qualifying park homeowners, with full or partial cost coverages.
This ultimate GreenMatch UK guide will give you everything you need to know about landing insulation grants for your park home, including your options, eligibility criteria, and how to apply.
Ready to insulate your park home? Look no further than GreenMatch UK for all your needs. Instead of spending endless hours researching and vetting installers, spend 30 seconds filling out our simple form, and we’ll send you 3 free home-tailored quotes from our network of accredited installers. Free of charge and non-binding. Click the button below to begin!
What are the available government grants for park homes?
In line with the UK’s ambitious Net Zero by 2050 goal, there’s a renewed focus on domestic insulation measures, including government grants for insulation park homes.
Currently, there are two main avenues for energy efficiency grants available for park homes in the UK. These are the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4), both of which provide a range of domestic upgrades to help improve your home's thermal efficiency.
There are also alternative financial support mechanisms, such as the Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme, that offer financial assistance towards energy bills of park homeowners that meet qualifying criteria.
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is a UK government initiative to improve the thermal efficiency of the housing stock nationwide. The scheme prioritises low-income, fuel-poor, and energy-inefficient households with insulation upgrades.
The scheme works by delivering a single insulation measure per household, decided after a retrofitting assessment to determine the best course of action tailored to each home. This is done so that the scheme can maximise its reach across the UK.
Park homes are also eligible to receive insulation via the GBIS if they meet the standard qualification criteria.
This scheme is active until March 2026, but it’s advised to apply sooner to maximise your chances of benefitting.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme is administered by Ofgem and places an obligation on energy providers to provide support to low-income and fuel-poor homes throughout the UK.
Unlike the GBIS, the ECO4 takes a more whole-house approach by looking into various avenues of home improvement, including insulation, energy system repairs, replacements, smart controls and more.
Park homes are also eligible to benefit from the ECO4, provided that they meet the standard qualification criteria for the scheme.
This scheme is active until March 2026, but it’s advised to apply sooner to maximise your chances of benefitting.
The Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme
The Warm Home Discount Scheme for park homes does not directly provide home improvement measures, but rather a set sum of support towards the energy bills of low-income and fuel-poor park homes.
Qualifying permanent residents of park homes in England, Scotland and Wales can receive up to £150 in contributions towards their energy bills during winter months if they meet the qualification criteria.
This scheme is currently closed and will reopen from October 2024.
What are the eligibility criteria for park home insulation grants?
The eligibility criteria for park home insulation grants differ based on the scheme you are trying to apply to. Generally, low-income and fuel-poor homes are prioritised, but some nuances are worth considering.
The general qualification criteria for the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) are:
- Property ownership: You must be a homeowner or rent from a private landlord. In the latter case, you need written permission to carry out work on your park home.
- Household income: The GBIS prioritises those that fall into the low-income group. Therefore, you need a gross annual household income that is below £31,000.
- EPC Rating: An Energy Performance Certificate Rating (ECP) tells you how efficient your home is. Park homes with an EPC rating between D - G can qualify.
- Council tax bands: This value is the council tax you pay based on your property value. Park homes in bands A - D in England or A - E in Scotland or Wales are eligible.
- Government benefits: Homeowners who receive one or more government benefits are very likely to qualify for assistance via the GBIS scheme.
The general qualification criteria for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) are as follows:
- Household income: Home resident(s) must have an annual gross household income below £31,000 to be classified as low-income.
- Government benefits: Alternatively, permanent residents receiving any approved government benefits may also be eligible for support.
- EPC Rating: Your park home must have an EPC rating below D.
The general qualification criteria for the Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme is a lot simpler, mainly focusing on whether a permanent home resident receives any recognised government benefits.
- Child Benefit
- Pension Guarantee Credit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Tax Credits (Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits)
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit Saving Credit
As seen, most of the qualifying criteria per scheme are quite similar, generally focusing on your income, home EPC rating, and council tax bands.
Consulting the official UK government website, or relevant sites of each grant can give you more information on whether you qualify.
What do park home insulation grants get you?
The provisions you can receive via a park home insulation grant depend largely on the grant scheme you apply for. Each grant scheme has its approach and provisions.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect per insulation grant scheme:
- Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS): As this scheme works by delivering a single insulation measure per household, you are likely to receive wall, underfloor, or loft insulation. The best course of action is decided after a retrofitting assessment.
- Energy Company Obligation (ECO4): Successful applicants for the ECO4 can benefit from up to 5 different upgrades. For park homes, these include external wall, underfloor, and loft insulation, as well as a series of energy system upgrades.
- Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme: While this scheme doesn’t deliver tangible insulation measures to park homes, qualifying households can receive up to £150 in contributions towards their energy bills, reducing their fuel poverty.
It’s important to work with a professional installer! Look for installers that are PAS 2030-2035 certified, as this is mandatory if you plan to install insulation measures via a grant. It will also give you peace of mind that the installation is carried out with high-quality workmanship.
Applying for government grants for park homes
The process of applying for government grants for park homes can differ depending on the scheme you choose to apply to. Generally, most schemes will be easy to apply for but can differ based on who is responsible for delivering the home upgrades.
Here’s a breakdown of the application process per grant scheme:
- Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS): To apply for the GBIS scheme, you can visit the official UK government website dedicated to the scheme. There you can find an online application form to fill out. Alternatively, there is an official number and email you can contact for further assistance.
- Energy Company Obligation (ECO4): To apply for the ECO4, you will need to contact your energy provider directly. This is because they carry the obligation to provide you with domestic upgrades. Once contacted, you can arrange a property inspection and go from there.
- Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme: Living in a park home and being disconnected from the grid doesn’t mean you can't benefit from energy bill reductions. You can apply to the scheme via the application form on the official Charis Grants website, as they are responsible for administering the scheme on behalf of energy suppliers.
What are the benefits of insulating your park home?
Insulating your home comes with a whole wealth of benefits to your savings, home environment, and even the planet. Here’s just some of what you could expect:
- Lower energy bills: Given the smaller size and thinner walls of standard park homes, external wall insulation can reduce up to a staggering 50% of heat loss, leading to massive savings in energy bills.
- Healthier home: Proper insulation reduces the risk of moisture, condensation, mould growth and rot. Not only does this protect your park home from damage, but also boosts your health as mould is a leading cause of respiratory illnesses.
- Better soundproofing: External wall, underfloor or roof insulation to your park home will also slightly improve its soundproofing. While thermal insulation is not necessarily sound insulation, in combination you can drastically reduce noise pollution in your home.
- Higher property value: Park homes are known to have lower EPC ratings and suffer from inefficiency. A properly insulated park home will be valued much higher on the housing market, should you ever choose to sell it.
It’s safe to say that there is no real downside to insulating your park home. The savings, comfort, and sustainability that come with it make it all the more worthwhile. However, deciding to insulate your park home is just the first step.
It’s important to get multiple quotes from professional installers so that you may find the best fit for you. Landing the perfect balance of professionalism and affordability can be quite an uphill battle though, seeing you spend countless hours scouring websites and arranging phone calls.
Luckily, GreenMatch UK can handle this for you. Simply fill out our 30-second online form, and we’ll deliver you up to 3 free home-tailored quotes from our nationwide network of pre-vetted installers. Zero charges or obligations. Click the button below to begin!
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