Lloyds Banking Group is funding a first-of-its kind scholarship scheme for mortgage industry professionals to complete the new Certificate in Financing Greener Homes.
The initiative follows recent government announcements on the forthcoming Warm Homes Plan, which will include a package of measures to help households finance improvements that cut bills and boost warmth and comfort in the home.
The Lloyds Banking Group-Green Finance Institute (GFI) funding partnership will build industry capability to support homeowners with energy‑efficient home upgrades.
This will provide professional training for 300 mortgage intermediaries and 100 Lloyds Banking Group colleagues across Halifax and Birmingham Midshires, including Business Development Managers and specific support teams.
Leadership in sustainable home lending
The move by Lloyds Banking Group removes the upfront cost for its intermediary partners and upskills internal teams in an area of growing interest to mortgage borrowers.
By making a nationally-recognised certification programme available to its colleagues and brokers, the Group is reinforcing its commitment to, and leadership within, the field of green home finance.
For the “Certificate in Financing Greener Homes”, the GFI will transfer and augment its LIBF-accredited Certificate in Green Mortgages training masterclass into an on-demand, self-paced, digital learning programme aimed at larger groups of mortgage intermediaries and lenders’ in-house teams.
How the GFI Certificate benefits advisers
The GFI Certificate is designed to provide the technical knowledge and market insights needed to help mortgage advisers:
- Expand their expertise in an area that is shaping the future of mortgage advice
- Engage clients in higher-value conversations about home energy efficiency and financing options
- Future-proof their business by staying ahead of regulatory and market developments
- Join a network of forward-thinking professionals leading the green mortgage market
As sustainable home finance continues to move into the mainstream, advisers with specialist knowledge in this area will set the standard for excellence in the industry.
Andrew Dean, head of Housing and Sustainability, at Lloyds Banking Group, says: “The majority of all mortgages go through a mortgage intermediary.
“They play a crucial role in the provision of green mortgages, and the finance of energy efficient home improvements. Training that builds on a recognised qualification can only be a good thing.
“By supporting the intermediary sector’s understanding of this area of growing interest for borrowers, we can help drive increased customer awareness, positive outcomes and increased uptake of green home finance products and services.”
Chloe Timperley, Green Mortgage Campaign Lead, at the Green Finance Institute, adds: “A wave of policy changes is on the horizon to help homeowners make energy‑efficient home improvements, and the finance sector will have a key role to play.
“The market has already grown rapidly, from only a handful of green mortgage offerings six years ago to more than 90 today, alongside a tripling of unsecured green loans in three years.
“The critical next step is increasing take‑up. That depends on advisers being equipped to have meaningful, everyday conversations with homeowners that help them navigate their options.
“This training partnership helps position the market to respond confidently to the evolving needs of households.”
