Residents living in cold, hard-to-heat homes in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire can now apply for home improvement upgrades through the Warm and Well energy advice service, delivered on behalf of the six Gloucestershire District Councils and South Gloucestershire Council by Gloucester-based energy experts Severn Wye.
The £5.25 million government scheme, from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, aims to bring down household energy bills over the long term through energy efficiency improvements and renewables.
With energy prices continuing to rise many people across the region are still struggling to keep up with their bills.
The funding may be available to households which are:
- in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire
- in an energy-inefficient home (with an EPC rating of D, E, F or G)
- have a combined household income below £36,000 per year or receive certain means-tested benefits.
Making big energy-saving home improvements can be daunting, so this scheme is delivered by a council partnership that householders can trust, as project manager Helen Curley explains:
‘Severn Wye has 25 years hands-on experiencing in energy efficiency and our advice is always impartial. We know every home – and every household – is different, so our home energy experts will carry out a property survey and recommend the measures that will make the biggest difference to the efficiency, comfort and cost of powering people’s homes.’
Severn Wye has sound credentials for delivering the Warm Homes Local Grant; they were one of the highest performers in delivering the scheme’s predecessor, the Home Upgrade Grant.
Maria Hickman, Housing Renewal Manager Stroud District Council, Warm and Well lead partner for the consortium of councils, worked with Severn Wye to develop the scheme:
‘Severn Wye’s retrofit co-ordination expertise means we can be confident all the conditions of the grant funding will be met. They always work closely with both funders and installers to make sure the right installations are made in each home, so residents see long-term benefits to their household finances and their health and comfort.’
Qualifying households will benefit from a wide range of energy-saving technologies and receive fully funded home improvements worth tens of thousands of pounds. These include insulation, solar panels, high heat retention storage heating, and air source heat pumps, and many households will be offered more than one upgrade.
South Gloucestershire resident David Stroud benefited from the previous home upgrade scheme. After initially enquiring about insulation he discovered he could have solar panels too:
‘Now they’re fitted our electric bills have come down and the house is generally warmer… they’re helping us reduce our bills. As a result of the service we got I’ve been promoting it to friends and neighbours. It doesn’t cost anything to ask and they’re very good – they’ll tell you what’s available.
Residents interested in applying should call the free Warm & Well adviceline on 0800 500 3076 or visit severnwye.org.uk/warm-homes-local-grant
