Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan

Step 1 – Contacting Home Energy Scotland

The first step is to contact Home Energy Scotland, a free advice service funded by the Scottish Government.

If you’d like to speak to an advisor, call our freephone line on 0808 808 2282. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, and Saturday 9am to 5pm.

If you’d prefer advice by email, complete our contact form and select ‘email’ when asked how you’d like us to get back to you. We’ll be in touch within 10 working days.

Step 2 – Get advice and check your options

An advisor will ask you about your home, how it’s used and your circumstances. This helps us understand which funding you’re eligible for and what improvements might suit your home.

Your advisor will explain how the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan works and what you need to apply.

You'll need a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) if you want to apply for funding for energy efficiency improvements. There must be a recommendation for the improvement in the recommendations table to qualify for funding.

Your EPC shows the current condition of your home, including your heating system and insulation. We use it to confirm that any insulation improvements are suitable for your home.

Your EPC will also list recommended improvements. If you’re applying for energy efficiency funding, you may need to install improvements that are recommended on your EPC.

You can apply for renewable systems, such as heat pumps, without an EPC. The EPC is only required for energy efficiency improvements.

If you’re unsure what improvements are right for your home, your advisor can help. They can talk you through your options and, if needed, arrange specialist support, such as a detailed home assessment and recommendation report tailored to your home.

Once you’re ready, your advisor will refer you to apply.

Step 3 – Application referral

After speaking to an advisor, you’ll receive an email with a link to start your application. This is usually sent within two working days of your initial call. You can then continue your application for the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan.
 

Step 1 – Creating an online application account

The link from the email referral will take you to the portal’s invitation page where you can register your account.

After registering, the customer portal can then be used to access your application form.

Step 2 – Filling in application form

In stage 1 of the application form, you will be asked to read and agree to the fund terms and conditions and will be prompted to confirm that your installation works won’t commence until a written funding offer is issued by the Services Delivery Team.

The application system allows you to submit the required documents and communicate with the Services Delivery Team through the portal's messaging system. Your progress will be saved in each section so you can leave and return to the form at any point if you need to gather further information or documents.

To successfully submit your application, you will need to provide the following documents:

• An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for your property if you're applying for energy efficiency improvements such as insulation. The improvement must be recommended in the recommendations table to qualify for funding. 
• Itemised quote(s) from your chosen installer(s) for the improvements you are applying for.
• Any additional documents specific to the improvements you are applying for. You can refer to the terms and conditions for detailed requirements or ask our Services Delivery Team for further information.

Step 3 – Application processing time

After you have successfully submitted your application form, we will aim to process it within 10 working days.

If your application is missing required supporting documentation, or we need to request clarification on any of the provided information, the processing timescale will be extended. We will send you up to three reminders to supply missing or incomplete information. If we do not receive a response to these reminders, the application will expire.  

You can view the status of your application and contact the team with information and queries through the portal.

Step 4 – Funding offer and installation works

After receiving a written funding offer you will need to review the details and sign the funding agreement electronically within 14 days. Your installation works can then start.

After signing your funding agreement, you will have 9 months to complete all the installation of your funded measures and submit a final funding claim.

Deposit

We can offer a deposit payment for the material costs of renewable systems. You can claim up to 60% of the funding for each system you have applied for.

You will need to submit your drawdown claim through the online portal and confirm deposit amounts by submitting a quote or letter from your installer(s) which clearly shows the requested amounts.

Your monthly repayments will start following any payment containing loan funds.

Drawdown claims are not available for energy efficiency installations.

Step 1 – Claiming your funding 
    
You can claim your funding per measure as installations are completed. This is to allow individual installers to be paid without having to wait for all works to be completed.

You need to submit claim request through the online portal and provide the following documents:

• Invoice for the completed work.
• Post EPC - The post-installation EPC cannot recommend the measures which have been installed under the application.
• Payment account information should be provided in your customer portal profile before submitting your claim form.
• MCS certificate (renewable installations only).

For some measures and circumstances further documentation may be required, you can refer to the terms and conditions for detailed requirements or ask our Services Delivery Team for further information.

Again, your monthly repayments will start following any payment containing loan funds.

Step 2 – Claim processing times

We aim to process claims within 10 working days after submitting all required claim documentation.

The processing time may take longer if we need to request additional documentation or need clarification on submitted documents. We will send you up to three reminders to supply missing or incomplete information. If we do not receive a response to these reminders, the application will expire. 

Step 3 – Receiving the funding

Once your claim is approved, we will process your payment using BACS transfer which can take between three and five working days.

It is your duty to pay your installer after receiving funding payments to your account. Energy Saving Trust is not liable to provide funding directly to installers. We will also require you to submit proof of payment within 10 working days of receiving your funding. This can be a bank statement or receipt from the installer. 
 

For any queries relating to your application or claim, you can contact the Services Delivery Team in the following ways:

• The message function on your customer portal (once you have been successfully referred).
• Email: servicesdeliveryscotland@est.org.uk
• Telephone: 0808 108 9414 (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm, excluding Scottish bank holidays).

The Services Delivery Team’s working hours are 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday and they aim to respond to you within three working days. 

If you are applying for the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan, the installer you choose must meet specific requirements for the measures you intend to have installed.

We strongly recommend you do the following:

• Contact at least three installers for quotes to give you choice and to ensure good value for money.
• Make sure your chosen installer is fully qualified and, if possible, accredited with a relevant industry body and/or trade federation.
• Ask installers what guarantees they will provide for the quality of their work and what warranties they supply with the products.

Energy efficiency measures

Where using Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan funding to install solid wall, underfloor, flat roof or room-in-roof insulation, your installer is required to be registered with TrustMark for the measures you intend to have installed.

You can find installers on Trustmark’s website.

For all other energy efficiency measures, there is no requirement to use a specific installer. 

Clean heating and renewable systems

Where using Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Funding to install a clean heating or renewable system, your installer and the product must be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) for the system they're installing (except for micro-hydro systems).

You can search for MCS-certified installers in your area and read customer reviews on Energy Saving Trust's Renewables Installer Finder. For a full list of MCS-certified installers, visit the MCS website.

Applications for hydro systems will instead be assessed on a case-by-case basis and we recommend using an installer accredited by the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) or recommended by the British Hydro Association.

Once your system is installed you can leave a rating and review of your installer (if listed) on Energy Saving Trust’s Renewables Installer Finder.

Heat network connections

For heat network connections, the installer of the connection must be approved by the scheme owner/operator. You must also provide a letter for the heat network operator confirming that your address is eligible to be connected to the network.  

• Funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to availability, or until the end of the financial year – whichever is sooner.
• Funding is reserved for applicants once a written offer of funding has been issued, not on application to the fund. Applications will be processed in order of submission date.
• After we receive your application, we’ll assess whether you're eligible. If your application is successful, we will send you a written offer of funding.
• You cannot start work on any installations until you’ve received the funding offer in writing, funding cannot be granted retrospectively.
• If you receive a funding offer you have up to nine months to carry the work out and claim funding. Your offer of funding will expire at the end of the nine month claim period.
• You may be able to combine Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan funding with other schemes and incentives; eligibility is not indicative of eligibility for any other programmes of support. Visit our contact us webpage for options on how to get in touch with the Home Energy Scotland advice service for more information. 

• If you’re applying for any loan funding, we will carry out affordability and credit checks.
• We will also conduct identification and antifraud checks before releasing any funds.
• If your application for loan funding is successful, you’ll need to pay an administrative fee of 1.5% of the total loan value - up to a maximum of £150 for each application.
• You choose how long to take to repay the loan – up to the following maximum number of years:
  • Under £5,000: 5 years
  • £5,000 - £9,999: 10 years
  • More than £10,000: 12 years
• Repayments begin after you have received a payment from us including any deposit drawdown or payments for individual improvements.

• For energy efficiency measures an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) must recommend the improvements being applied for and be included with the application.
• For clean heat and renewable systems you don't need to submit any qualifying report to evidence that it's suitable.
• To see if you already have an EPC for your home, or to search for EPC assessors in your area, check the Scottish EPC register. You'll also need to get an updated EPC after you've had the work done, and before we can issue funding.
• You'll need to pay for any required EPCs, but you can add the cost of these to the loan if you want to.
• Home Energy Scotland grants and loans are not linked to other schemes, and eligibility for the funds is not indicative of eligibility for any other incentives as the eligibility criteria may differ.
• If you're planning to apply to any other financial incentive scheme, for example the Smart Export Guarantee, you should check eligibility criteria to ensure you can meet the requirements of both funds.

Thinking of using the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan to fund a clean heating or renewables system? Energy Saving Trust has lots of information on generating renewable electricity and heating your home. We’ve also got more information on heat pumps, which could save you money and will help cut Scotland’s carbon emissions.

Conditions of applying for clean heating and renewable systems

• Your application can only fund one whole-house heating system. This means it must provide both heating and hot water to the property.
• Replacement heat pumps are not eligible for grant funding. An interest-free loan of up to £7,500 is available for replacement heat pumps.
• You don't need to provide a report that recommends any clean heating system or renewables technologies for funding. 
• If you’re applying for a biomass boiler, you must provide evidence as to why a heat pump or high heat retention storage heaters aren’t suitable for your property. This can be issued by a Home Energy Scotland advisor or your installer.
• Your installer and product must be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) for the system that is being installed. The only exception to this is micro hydro systems. Applications for these systems will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and we recommend using an installer accredited by the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) or recommended by the British Hydro Association.

Conditions of applying for a heat network connection

• The installation must be carried out by an installer approved by the heat network scheme’s owner or operator.
• The heat network must meet the definition of a heat network set out in the Heat Network Act.  
• You must provide a letter from your heat network operator confirming your property is eligible for connection.  

• If you are making improvements to glazing, you can only use funding to improve single glazed windows. Funding is not available for replacing or improving existing double, triple or secondary glazing.  
• Grant funding is not available for glazing.  
• If you’re applying for high heat retention storage heaters you must provide evidence as to why a heat pump isn’t suitable for your property. This must be evidenced by an MCS certified installer or an Energy Performance Certificate showing you live in a flat.