Heating, Insulation and low carbon heating grants

The West Sussex Affordable Energy Partnership has been successful as part of a consortium of 23 Local Authorities in securing funding from the Government’s Home Upgrade Grant, to offer fully funded energy saving improvements for your home, such as insulation, air source heat pumps and solar PV panels. 

AREA: West Sussex

TENURE: Owner occupied/Private tenures

MEASURES: Insulation, Air source heat pumps, solar PV.

INFORMATION: The programme is open to owner occupiers and private rental tenants only. Funding is not available to local authority or housing association tenants. If you are in a private rental property, then a financial contribution from the landlord will be required and the landlord will be contacted about this following the application.​

There is funding available for eligible household for qualifying measures which improve the energy efficiency rating of a property. The programme has been set-up to provide funding for insulation, air source heat pumps, and solar PV.

The programme is operating on a first-come, first serve basis, so be sure to get your application in now to ensure you don’t miss out.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Your home is not heated by mains gas (e.g. you use electric, oil or LPG).
• Household Income under £31,000 or under OR you receive a means tested benefits
• D, E, F or G rated home, (if you don’t know this, we can tell you).
• Owner occupied and private rented, landlords pay a contribution)
• Property suitable for the measures

HOW TO APPLY:  Visit Warmer Homes www.warmerhomes.org.uk

Or Call: 0800 038 5737

VIDEOS:

• West Sussex Affordable Warmth You Tube video- Air Source Heat Pump
• West Sussex Affordable Warmth You Tube video – Solar PV
• West Sussex Affordable Warmth You Tube video – Solid Wall Insulation

AREA: West Sussex

TENURE: Owner occupied and Private rented

MEASURES: Loft and cavity wall insulation, smart heating controls and Air Source Heat pumps

INFORMATION: Connected for Warmth is an award-winning grant scheme offering FREE energy-saving measures to homes across Britain, that can help you reduce your energy use and stay warm and well. There are two offers one for insulation and the other for air source heat pump. The insulation offer is NOT MEANS TESTED.

ELIGIBILITY: For insulation –  loft and cavity wall insulation offer is available to homeowners and privately rented properties, and is subject to availability of funding.

Homes must be in Council Tax Bands A, B, C or D (click here to check your tax band). 

​Properties must also be technically suitable for the insulation measures available. For example, if you live in a flat or in a listed building it may not be possible to treat your home. This will be confirmed via your EPC or the home survey that we will undertake.

​Properties need to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C or below.

ELIGIBILITY: For Air Source Heat Pump. Please note that there are different eligibility criteria for the central heating, Air Source Heat Pump element of the Connected for Warmth scheme.

If you’re a homeowner or privately rent…

You’re likely to be eligible if your EPC rating is E, F or G and you heat your home using one of the following:

• electric storage heaters

• room heaters

• open fires

• electric warm air system

• electric underfloor or ceiling heating (not connected to an electric boiler)

• oil boiler

• LPG boiler

• electric boiler

• solid fuel boiler

(Please note existing Oil or LPG Boilers need to be 5 years old or more, we would also require proof)

AND

You are in receipt of any means-tested benefits below:

• Child benefit

• Child Tax Credit

• Housing Benefit

• Jobseekers Allowance

• Income related Employment and Support Allowance

• Income Support

• Pension Credit Guarantee

• Pensions Credit Savings Credit

• Universal Credit

• Working Tax Credit

HOW TO APPLY: Please visit the Connected For Warmth website for further details and to apply

AREA: National

TENURE: Owner occupied, Private tenants

FURTHER INFORMATION: ECO is the main government scheme for supporting energy efficiency improvements in low income and vulnerable households.

Measures: Insulation and some heating improvements, solar PV and more  There are various improvements that energy companies can install to meet their ECO targets, but most companies offer cavity wall insulation and loft insulation.

ELIGIBILITY: Member of household receives eligible benefits

If you are on certain benefits and need insulation or heating, you could qualify for financial support for these improvement

HOW TO APPLY: If anyone in your household is receiving benefits contact your energy supplier to see if they can help. They should be able to tell you what help is available. More information can be found at the GOV.UK Website Energy Company Obligation (ECO)

ECO is not an emergency response scheme, so if your heating is old and inefficient contact your supplier before your heating breaks down.

If your supplier doesn’t offer a scheme you can visit the Ofgem ECO supplier contact list  

AREA: West Sussex

TENURE: Owner occupied, Private rented and social housing

INFORMATION: ECO4 is the main government scheme for supporting energy efficiency improvements in low income and vulnerable households. ECO4 Flex The Local Authority and Supplier Flex element of the scheme (ECO4) allows local authorities (LAs) to widen the eligibility criteria to target vulnerable groups who do not receive income related benefits. Eligibility is based on income, household EPC and other qualifying criteria set out in West Sussex Statement of Intent for ECO4 and GBIS.

Broadly you could be eligible under ECO4 Flex if:

• you live in a property that requires energy efficiency upgrades and:
• you have a combined gross annual household income under £31,000 or
• a person in your household has a severe or long-term health condition that is adversely affected by living in a cold home, and is due to one of the following:
• a cardiovascular condition,
• a respiratory disease,
• limited mobility, or
• immunosuppression

If you live in social housing that has an energy efficiency rating of E, F or G you might be eligible for help with insulation or installing a heating system for the first time.

Use the energy performance certificate register to find your property’s energy efficiency rating, or ask your landlord or housing association.

There are various other criteria or referral routes set out in the West Sussex ECO4 Flex and GBIS Statement of Intent, and details on how to apply. All potentially eligible households should apply through the West Sussex Energy Advice Service
provided by Arun and Chichester Citizens Advice on 01243 974063 or one of the National Energy Foundation approved ECO / Great British Insulation Scheme installers, if a list of approve installers is available, to see if they can either benefit from the scheme or be assessed for eligibility under any other relevant programme.

West Sussex ECO4 Flex and GBIS Statement of Intent V1

The government is providing grants to encourage property owners to install low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps, through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). These grants can help property owners overcome the upfront cost of low carbon heating technologies.

The scheme is open to domestic and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales. It runs from 2022 to 2025.

You can get:

• £5,000 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump
• £5,000 off the cost and installation of a biomass boiler
• £6,000 off the cost and installation of a ground source heat pump

You may be eligible if you:

• live in England or Wales
• own your property (whether this is a home or a small non-domestic property)

Private landlords and second-home owners are eligible.

For the most up to date information and how to apply please visit:

https://www.gov.uk/ghttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-may-be-eligible-for-the-boiler-upgrade-scheme-from-april-2022uidance/check-if-you-may-be-eligible-for-the-boiler-upgrade-scheme-from-april-2022

The Great British Insulation Scheme is a new government energy efficiency scheme (formerly known as ECO+). It is designed to deliver improvements to the least energy-efficient homes in Great Britain to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce energy bills.

The scheme complements the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme, yet unlike ECO4’s ‘whole house’ approach, this scheme will mostly deliver single insulation measures.

As well as supporting low-income and vulnerable households, it will also be available to those living in homes with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D-G, and within Council Tax bands A-D in England and A-E in Scotland and Wales.

The scheme will work by placing an obligation on medium and large energy companies to install measures that result in reduced energy usage. It is intended to run  until March 2026.

West Sussex have a statement of Intent published which allows eligible residents to take part in the scheme. Many energy supplier sare still finalising their offer, but you can register your interest. Once published further information will be found here. Further information is available on the OFGEM website.

Your Local Authority may have additional housing repairs and heating grants. Grants are often dependant on a resident income and having a disbility or vulnerability to the cold. To find out more visit the Advice near me and select your local authority logo and visit the Housing repair and heating grant section.

 AREA: WEST SUSSEX

TENURE: Owner occupied

INFORMATION: The LEAP Boiler Scheme offers assistance to fuel poor or vulnerable households to repair or replace broken or condemned boilers.

ELIGIBILITY: Please note that proof of eligibility is now required before our advisors can make a referral to the scheme. The LEAP Boiler Scheme is part of the overall LEAP programme.  It is available to qualifying residents that have been referred to LEAP by one of our referral partners / energy company funders where the applicant will engage in the holistic support offered by LEAP.  The scheme is not open to applications from the general public.

Homeowners with a broken boiler and in a no heat situation and meet the following criteria:

• They have been identified as being in fuel poverty or in a fuel poverty risk group and
• at least one person resident in the household is:
  • aged 65 or over, 
  • under the compulsory school age, 
  • or is suffering from significant health problems or has a disability
• They must own their home
• They must use gas central heating as their primary heating source
• Their boiler must be broken such that the client is in, or is intermittently in a ‘no heat’ situation
• The property is not considered to be a ‘higher risk’ property e.g., park homes, high-rise buildings and any building that is both traditionally constructed and protected (i.e. listed buildings)
• There must be no other suitable emergency funding that the household can access, this could mean for example that the client would need to pay a contribution they cannot afford or that the timescales for accessing funding are too long given their circumstances

HOW TO APPLY:  It is available to qualifying residents that have been referred to LEAP by one of our referral partners / energy company funders where the applicant will engage in the holistic support offered by LEAP.  The scheme is not open to applications from the general public. You can contact your local energy advice service who can support with your application/referral to the service. To find your local advice service visit the Advice section of the website.

AREA: Chichester only

TENURE: Owner Occupied and Private rented tenures

ELIGIBILTY: Home owners, and landlords letting their properties to tenants on a low income can apply for funding for a whole house efficient heating system, where the occupant is in fuel poverty or suffering an excess cold health and safety hazard. The assistance is offered via a no interest loan placed as a charge on the property. Applicants must either be in receipt of a means tested benefit, Disabled Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment or a household income of less than £25,000 pa less than £16,000 in savings.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Chichester District Council- housing financial assistance  

Eligibility: If your client has no working heating system, then they could benefit from the West Sussex Emergency Heater scheme. Eligible residents are provided with one or two oil-filled plug-in heater per household to help keep them warm and well. The heater is a stopgap until the client is able to have their central heating system repaired or replaced. Due to the high running costs of plug-in heaters, the heaters must not be used to supplement inadequate central heating.

Professional referrals only, residents cannot self-refer.

How to apply: Emergency heater referral