Grants and schemes to help with energy
efficiency
Key information
If you need help with energy efficiency improvements in
your privately-owned or rented home, there are a number of schemes
that may be able to help - from the Government, energy suppliers,
local councils and other sources.
Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern
Ireland
Please note: what is available depends on what country you live
in.
Taxable: No
Administered by: Depends on the scheme
Index
You can read through this information sheet,
or go directly to the sections you want to read by clicking on
these links:
Country schemes
England
The Government- funded scheme, the Warm Front scheme
(link opens in a new window), is closing to new applicants on
19 January 2013.
Instead support will be available the Green
Deal and Energy Companies Obligation (also available
in Scotland and Wales).
Wales
In Wales, support is available through the Nest Programme, Green
Deal and Energy Companies Obligation.
Scotland
In Scotland, help is available through the Energy
Assistance Package, Green Deal and Energy Companies Obligation.
You can also apply for a grant towards a new boiler
under the
Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme (link opens in a new
window) funded by the Scottish Government.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, the Warm Homes Scheme offers grants to help
improve energy efficiency.
If you are a home owner, your income is less than £40,000 and
your boiler is over 15 years old, you can apply for the
Boiler Replacement Scheme (link opens in a new window) through
the Housing Executive.
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Eligibility
For some schemes, you need to be getting certain means-tested or
income-related benefits to qualify for a grant. For example, you
may qualify if you are getting one or more of the following
benefits and depending on where you live:
You may also get help if you're getting Tax Credits and your income is below
a certain level.
You'll need to contact the scheme provider in the country where
you live to find out how much help you can get. This is
because some benefits may not entitle you to receive the full
package of energy efficiency improvements.
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What help do the schemes provide?
A technical survey of the work is needed for the existing
heating system in your property to find out if you qualify for a
grant. If your home needs to be made warmer, the grant could
cover things like insulation or a replacement boiler. The work
is carried out by recommended installers. You don't arrange for it
to be done.
All the schemes offer free energy saving advice to everyone,
even if you don't qualify for a grant to make your home warmer. You
may also be able to get a free benefits check to make sure you're
not missing out on other money.
The technical survey identifies the value
of the work that needs to be done.
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How to claim
You can get more information about how to apply for money for
home energy efficiency schemes as follows:
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The Green Deal (England, Scotland and Wales)
The Green Deal, available in England, Scotland and Wales from 28
January 2013, is a way to make energy efficiency improvements
to your home without having to pay 'up front'. Instead, you
pay for it for it by instalments on your electricity bill, for a
period of up to 25 years. Paying through your bill is like a loan –
but for your property, not the person. The payments are agreed at
the start and the loan stays with the property after the bill payer
moves on.
The Green Deal is designed to ensure that you won't pay
back more than you are saving on your energy bill. This is called
the Golden Rule. However, this is not a guarantee. The actual costs
may exceed the estimated savings. For example, if your energy use
increases or there is a fall in energy prices.
What steps are involved?
There are four steps:
- Assessment: A Green Deal assessor or advisor
assesses your home and recommends energy saving
improvements through a Green Deal advice report
- Finance: A Green Deal provider gives you
a quote for a Green Deal plan to pay for the improvements
based on the Green Deal advice report. The will estimate
the likely savings on your energy bills as a result of having the
measures installed, and the likely period over which these savings
will be made to ensure you are not paying back more than you are
saving on your energy bills
- Installation: A Green Deal installer makes the
improvements agreed under your Green Deal plan
- Repayment: You pay for these
improvements through instalments on your electricity
bill.
When is it available?
The Green Deal was launched on 1 October
2012 and from that date qualified Green Deal assessors could
assess your property for energy saving home improvements.
From 28 January 2013 you will be able to take out a Green
Deal finance plan.
See the information
on the Green Deal on the Gov.UK website (link opens in a new
window).
Energy Companies Obligation (England, Scotland and Wales)
The Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) has been
introduced alongside the Green Deal. It aims to save carbon
and get efficient boilers and insulation into the homes of
vulnerable people across Great Britain.
ECO is split into three elements:
- Affordable Warmth - providing free heating and
hot water saving measures, insulation, glazing and microgeneration
technologies (except PV) to low-income and vulnerable
households (Please note: You can't get this help if you are a
social housing tenant)
- Carbon Saving Obligation - to provide funding
to insulate solid-walled properties (internal and external wall
insulation) and those with 'hard to treat' cavity walls.
- Carbon Saving Communities - to provide free
insulation and glazing measures to people living in the bottom 15%
of the UK's most deprived areas. It is expected that this part of
ECO will particularly benefit people in social housing. You have to
be on a low income and live in certain areas where the population
size is below 10,000.
The scheme runs from 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2015. The energy
regulator, Ofgem, monitors the scheme.
Information on ECO is available on the Energy
Saving Trust website (link opens in a new window) and Gov.UK website (link
opens in a new window)
The Energy Saving Advice Service (ESAS) can help you find out
what help, if any, you are eligible for and how to apply. Call:
0300 123 1234.
Northern Ireland
The Green Deal and ECO are not available in Northern
Ireland and we do not know if these schemes will be
available there at a later date.
Other sources of help
Electricity and gas companies
Electricity companies may provide help with energy
efficiency.
Gas companies may offer discounts on new boilers if you want to
scrap your old one.
Energy Link
If you don't qualify for one of these grants to make your home
warmer, you may qualify to get free or lower cost cavity wall
insulation through Energy Link. This is an organisation which puts
people in touch with reputable installers. The discounts are funded
by energy companies, including npower, E.ON and Scottish Power. For
more information go to the Energy Link free insulation
website (link opens in a new window).
Foundations
Foundations, the national organisation for home improvement
agency and handyperson services, administers a fund from the
energy company npower to help vulnerable people on low
incomes to replace or renew their boilers or repair their
heating.
More information is available on the Foundations website
(link opens in a new window).
You can apply through your local home improvement agency
(link opens in a new window).
Local councils
You may also be able to apply to your local council (link
opens in a new window) for help towards energy efficiency.
Renewable Heat Premium Payments Phase 2
This Government scheme, which is available until the end of
March 2014, is designed to help you afford renewable
technologies for your home, such as:
- Solar thermal panels
- Heat pumps (air to water source, ground source or water source
but excluding exhaust air heat pumps)
- Biomass boilers.
The amount received depends on which technology you are applying
for.
Who can apply?
Last updated: 1 May 2013
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