Energy Advice and Schemes

If you own your own home, or are a tenant, or a private landlord with tenants, you could qualify to apply for energy-saving improvements.

Please note: If your home is rented, both tenant and landlord will need to give their approval before any energy-saving improvements can be carried out.

You are likely to qualify for the scheme if you are on a low income, for example, if your annual household income is under £30,000, or under £20,000 after rent or mortgage costs, or your household is on means-tested benefits. The number of children in your household, and whether you have recently lost income will also be considered. If you think you might qualify for the scheme, even if you are not sure, please click on the link shown below to fill in a form and find out.

If your home has an Energy Performance Certificate (also known as an EPC) and the rating of the Certificate is either D, E, F or G, then it is likely to qualify for the scheme. If you think your home might qualify, please click on the link shown below to fill in a form and find out. If you do not have an Energy Performance Certificate or are not sure about it or what it means, please click on the link below to fill in a form and find out whether your home qualifies for the scheme.

How do I apply?

Apply for the Green Home Grant Scheme.

Sustainable Warmth (LAD3 and HUG1) – coming soon

Sustainable Warmth is a competition being launched to bring together two fuel poverty schemes (Local Authority Delivery Phase 3 and Home Upgrade Grant Phase 1) into a single funding opportunity for local authorities (LAs). The two schemes that make up the Sustainable Warmth competition have a shared goal to contribute to the aims set out in the Sustainable Warmth: protecting vulnerable households in England strategy.

As outlined in this strategy, the government is committed to tackling fuel poverty and helping the most vulnerable by increasing the energy efficiency of homes, reducing the cost of bills, contributing to Net Zero targets, and supporting low-income households in the transition to low-carbon heating. This competition will provide funding to support these objectives.

Through funding made available under the Sustainable Warmth competition, the Government aims to save households money, reduce fuel poverty, cut carbon, and support the aims of the 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. Funding is available to upgrade homes both on and off-gas grid, and comprises:

1. Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Phase 3: a third phase of LAD with £200 million available. LAD3 has a refined scope to support low-income households heated by mains gas.

2. Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) Phase 1: £150 million for low-income households with homes off-gas grid through the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) scheme.

Both schemes aim to support low-income households in England, living in energy inefficient homes by installing energy efficiency and low carbon heating upgrades with a delivery timeframe of January 2022 to March 2023.

Solar Together

All residents living in one of the participating council areas and who own their own house (or have permission from the landlord to install a solar PV system) can register for the Solar Together group-buying scheme. Small and medium-sized enterprises (non-domestic) and Commonhold Associations meeting this requirement can participate as well.

Why should you join Solar Together? Have a look at how we can take the hassle out of finding a solar installer, all while ensuring that you're getting a high-quality product and service.

Group-buying for solar - Solar Together

Action on Energy scheme

Through our Action on Energy scheme, run in partnership with neighbouring councils, we can provide grants to help low-income households install energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating.

The grants are available for homeowners and private landlords that meet both of the following criteria:

• Homeowners or tenants on certain means-tested benefits (see ‘eligible benefits’ below) or with a total household income of less than £30,000 before tax or other deductions

• the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating is E, F or G

• check your EPC rating – contact us if you don’t have one.

For homeowners the grant will cover 100% of the cost of improvements.

For landlords the grant will cover two-thirds of the cost of the improvements, with the landlord expected to cover the outstanding amount.

The maximum amount of grant available depends on the way the property is heated and its current EPC rating.

If you meet the eligibility criteria, an approved installer will visit your property to assess whether we could install any of the following improvements:

• Cavity wall insulation

• external or internal wall insulation

• loft insulation (or top-up)

• party wall insulation (between you and your neighbour)

• room-in-roof insulation

• flat room insulation

• draughtproofing.

If funds allow, in addition to any insulation work, we will also consider installing measures including:

• Photovoltaic solar panels for electricity

• renewable heating or hot-water systems such as heat pumps.

The work will be done by an installer working to a new quality standard for the retrofit industry.