Council secures funding to help improve energy efficient measures in local homes

Cheshire West and Chester Council has secured over £500,000 in funding to install energy efficient measures to some of the borough’s most inefficient homes.

The funding, provided through the Government’s first phase of the national Green Homes Grant scheme for Local Authority Delivery, will be delivered through the Council’s partner Qwest Services.

Energy efficient measures, such as cavity wall and loft insulation, will help to reduce carbon emissions produced from heating homes, whilst also tackling the poverty emergency by lowering fuel bills and improving the health and wellbeing of some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents.

Work has already started to insulate park homes across the borough, and over the forthcoming months the Council will be identifying more eligible homes and installing energy saving measures so more residents can benefit from home improvements and help towards the borough’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2045. 

All homes benefitting from the improvements will have a combined household income of less than £30,000 per year and will be within the lowest Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band ratings. The Council will contact eligible households directly to provide details of the energy efficient measures they can benefit from.

Councillor Matt Bryan, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Climate Emergency, said: “Housing makes up 14 per cent of the borough’s total carbon emissions, which all contribute to the global issue of climate change. It’s a key area for us to focus on and the success of our funding applications with our partner Qwest Services will help us to address the problem of cold homes for some of our most vulnerable residents and put us a step closer to our target of becoming a carbon neutral borough by 2045.”

Residents who would like to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes and don’t meet the eligibility criteria for the Local Authority Delivery scheme, can apply to the national Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme.  This is separate to the Local Authority Delivery scheme and covers measures such as low-carbon heating and insulation. 

The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, which is available until March 2022, will provide two-thirds of the costs of installing eligible measures, to a maximum of £5,000, with homeowners contributing the remainder.

In addition, residents in receipt of qualifying benefits looking to install eligible measures, can claim up to a maximum of £10,000 without having to contribute.

The Green Homes Voucher Scheme is not administered by the Council.  For more information on the voucher scheme visit:

www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk

or call:

0800 444 202