Two hundred Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire households will receive free expert energy advice from Severn Wye Energy Agency, after their successful bid to the government’s Local Energy Advice Demonstrator Programme (LEAD).
With the joint crises of the cost of living and climate change having a measurable impact locally and nationally, improving the energy efficiency of our homes has never been more urgent.
Severn Wye’s home energy advice experts will work in partnership with the South West Net Zero Hub to deliver the £405k LEAD funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The money will give homes in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire a boost in energy efficiency, including those homes considered more complex to improve because of their location or construction.
The scheme will run for the next two years, enabling Severn Wye’s retrofit experts to provide in-person, impartial advice and support to qualifying householders who are ready to make energy efficiency improvements but don’t know where to start.
Excellent credentials
Severn Wye has a long history of working together with homeowners and private landlords to provide impartial home-energy advice, including for rural homes or those of historic importance or non-standard construction. Together with Marches Energy Agency, Severn Wye’s Future Ready Homes project has already provided advice to more than 200 householders in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Powys who are now embarking on their energy efficiency improvements.
Successful applicants will receive a home energy advice report and energy efficiency action plan from a Severn Wye home energy specialist, all of which would normally cost more than £500. Following the home assessment, ongoing support will be available to help homeowners turn their action plan into reality, including help accessing funding towards installations if they are eligible.
Jon Rattenbury, South West Net Zero Hub Programme Manager, says:
‘We are pleased to be able to award this funding on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to Severn Wye Energy Agency, one of six South West based organisations that have shown a real appetite to support their communities to take action to save carbon and improve the energy efficiency of their homes. We look forward to working with them to share the learning from the pilot projects on providing tailored advice and developing the provision of advice to support as many people as possible.’
Sandy Ruthven, Severn Wye CEO says:
‘We’re delighted to have won this funding from LEAD. Our experience working with all types of households across Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire shows that even those who have money available can lack the information or confidence to act on energy efficiency. Our specialist advice will enable them to cut energy bills, increase comfort levels, and reduce carbon emissions.’
The energy landscape can be particularly complex for private landlords and the funding will enable Severn Wye to expand on their existing services and expertise to help landlords identify the right energy efficiency investments for their properties.
The fully funded advice and support will be available to Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire homeowners who have the finance to pay for energy efficiency improvements to their properties but need information and support to act. Ongoing support can include advice on comparing quotes and help finding appropriate installers.
Applications are open on the Severn Wye website.
The funding will support more than 200 households and 91 landlords across Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire with impartial, in-person advice to help them improve the energy efficiency of their homes. It is funded by the South West Net Zero Hub, which is hosted by the West of England Combined Authority through the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator Programme.
