More residents can now access free home energy efficiency measures

The maximum income threshold for the grant has been increased to £36,000 a year, expanding the eligible pool of households who can access free energy saving upgrades by nearly 20%.

If the household income is under this amount and the home does not use a gas boiler as the main heating system, residents can apply to receive free insulation, air source heat pumps, solar panels, and more. The scheme is open to applications until November 2024, with applications processed on a first come-first served basis.

This grant scheme is available thanks to funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero following a successful bid by a group of 23 local authorities, which included Chichester District Council.

"The average household could be losing hundreds of pounds each year because their property isn't energy efficient, and so we're encouraging people to see whether they could be eligible for free home energy grants to help make their homes warmer and their energy bills cheaper," explains Councillor Jonathan Brown, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environmental Strategy at Chichester District Council.

“The Home Upgrade grant scheme is for properties that do not use mains gas for heating, and for those on a low household income or are in receipt of means tested benefits.

“Households will be eligible for this scheme if the property is mainly heated by electricity (for example, storage heaters, electric boiler, and panel heaters); Oil; Coal; Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG); or solid fuel. The property should have an Energy Performance Rating (EPC) of E, F or G. To find an energy certificate for a property, residents can visit: www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate.

“Up to £38,000 in funding is available per household, depending on the property type and the type of measures that are considered suitable for the property. It’s worth mentioning that residents can still apply for this scheme if they have a gas connection, as long as it's not used for heating — for example, if a home has a gas cooker but uses electric storage heaters.”

The funding is accessible through the Warmer Homes Programme, which is currently open to applications. People can visit www.warmerhomes.org.uk to find out if they are eligible, and they can also contact the Warmer Homes team by calling the freephone on 0800 038 5737 or emailing [email protected].

Further advice on energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, tips to help save money on household bills, and details on the range of different grants available for homeowners and landlords, can be found at: www.chichester.gov.uk/homeenergyefficiency. On this page, there is also a downloadable leaflet that summarises all of the different grant schemes available.

For district residents who are concerned about the cost of living, Chichester District Council's Supporting You team are on hand to help. They can be contacted on 01243 534860 or by visiting www.chichester.gov.uk/supportingyouteam