Tackling rising energy costs with the Warmer Homes scheme

A coalition of Councils in the South East is taking action to help households who are struggling with the cost of rising energy bills.

The Warmer Homes programme is funded by the Government’s Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery and Home Upgrade Grant schemes. 

Portsmouth City Council, in partnership with local authorities including Brighton & Hove and Adur & Worthing Councils, has secured funding from these schemes to offer grants to improve the energy efficiency of eligible homes.

To be eligible households must live in properties with an E, F, or G energy performance rating and receive means tested benefits or have a combined income of less than £30,000. The programme is open to homeowners and renters.

You can find out your EPC by visiting the National EPC Register. 

In instances where a property does not have an EPC, a new one can be obtained through the scheme. 

Successful applicants are assigned an installer who will assess the property and identify the best measures for that home. Possible measures can include solar panels, heat pumps, and a variety of energy efficiency improvements such as cavity-wall and loft insulation.

Those living in a property that is connected to the gas grid can apply for a grant of up to £10,000, and anyone living in a home that is ‘off-gas’ can get up to £25,000.

Kayla Ente, founder and CEO of Brighton & Hove Energy Service Co-operative said: “When energy prices increase in October, the average annual bill is expected to be £3,000, which is totally unaffordable for many families.

By making homes more energy efficient, we can drive down long-term energy costs while also making properties much warmer and more pleasant to live in. Furthermore, about 40% of our carbon emissions come from heating, so this is a vital opportunity for people to take action on climate change”.

The programme is available until the 31st March 2023.

More information on the scheme and how to apply can be found at https://www.warmerhomes.org.uk/ or by contacting BHESCo at info@bhesco.co.uk or 0800 999 6671.