Energy Saving Grants

If you are thinking of making an energy saving improvement to your home, then you may try for energy efficiency grants offered by the UK government. These grants are given to people that are at risk of fuel poverty. The grants are for those whose yearly fuel expense brings them below the poverty line.

Find here, details about the UK government grants and their eligibility criteria. These grants cover home insulation, draught proofing, boiler replacements, arranging thermostats and other kinds of winter proofing facilities. Lots of UK grants go unclaimed as people are not aware about either the grants or their eligibility for the grants.

Until Dec 2012, the grants were provided under the CERT (Carbon Emission Reduction Target) which considered everybody eligible for the grants. It is now replaced by ECO (Energy Companies Obligation) where the customer has to qualify for the grant. Funded by gas and electricity suppliers, the benefits of the ECO scheme can be checked from the supplier’s website.

Following suppliers offer the ECO scheme:

• British Gas
• EDF Energy
• ScottishPower
• npower
• ON
• SSE

The grants cover the following energy efficient upgrades:

• Installation or repair of boiler or central heating system
• Draught proofing doors and windows
• Insulation of lofts, internal and external walls
• Arranging thermostats and heating controls
• Insulating hot and cold water tanks and pipes

Eligibility for the grants:

• Applicant must be living in their home for more than a year
• Have crossed the age of 60 and is living on state pension
• Home owner in the UK
• Tenant of a private sector landlord

If you are not a pensioner then you need to claim it before the 31 March 2016.

The Warm Front Scheme is available to individuals in England, who have a poorly insulated home and are currently in receipt of income related benefits (such as the pension credit). The grant can be as high as £6000 and may vary as per the government’s discretion. If the cost exceeds this amount then the claimant has to fund the gap. There are also similar schemes available in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

To find out if your local authorities offer home improvement grants, give them a call or alternatively, visit the Energy Saving Trust website www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.

Moreover, most energy suppliers are under the Government’s Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) and therefore, are obliged to help consumers improve their home energy efficiency. You can take up an offer with a supplier, even if that company does not supply you with gas or electricity.

Further government incentives include the Green Deal, which is a loan type agreement whereby consumers can make energy saving improvements to their homes but not have to pay anything upfront. Interest will be paid on the loan, but you will save a lot more in the long run. Interestingly, the loan is attached to your house, so if you move, the incoming tenant will inherit the loan deal.

Certain local authorities in the UK will provide grants to their local residents to assist with energy efficiency measures. This may include home insulation or boiler replacement. The qualifications for such schemes are quite stringent, however, they may also provide other incentives (where qualification is less rigorous and sometimes universal) which will help reduce your carbon footprint and reduce your energy bills, such examples include; free energy efficient light bulbs.

To find which supplier will offer you the maximum energy benefits, you can contact FreePriceCompare.com. It is a Free, Independent and Impartial comparison service dedicated to saving Britain money. Within 5 minutes you can find out if you can save up to £578 off your energy bills. For further details, feel free to contact us 02034757476 or fill our contact form to receive a quick call.

Shay Ramani