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Energy efficiency advice and grants

What is energy efficiency advice?

Energy efficiency advice is a comprehensive energy efficiency support service available to all residents within the borough. The level of support available to you will depend upon your circumstances, but everyone has the opportunity to save money and make their homes more energy efficient.

Free and impartial advice about all domestic energy efficiency needs and requirements is delivered from the council’s Eco Hut located in Warrington Retail Market. Information is provided on the savings that can be made by implementing changes to thermal insulation, lighting, and the efficient operation of heating systems, etc.

Energy efficiency advice encompasses affordable warmth grants which are intended to complement other local and national grant initiatives such as Warm Front, not to replace them.

What external grants are available?

Staff at the Eco Hut stay abreast of external grants, such as Warm Front (see link below), and other financially supported schemes available nationally, whether means tested or not, in order to give a selection of subsidised options to the householder.

Warm Front – administered by Carillion Energy Services, the grant provides energy efficiency advice and a package of insulation and heating improvements which are tailored to each property.

Utility company supported schemes – installation of insulation measures at pre-arranged discounted prices through subsidy from utility companies.

What if I don’t qualify for external schemes?

Affordable Warmth Grants may be available to assist vulnerable households to install energy efficiency measures and / or heating improvements where they are not available via any of the currently supported national schemes.

Affordable Warmth Grants

Affordable Warmth Grants are limited to a maximum of £5,000 or £6,000 for oil-fired heating systems. They are available to owner-occupiers and private tenants where:

energy efficiency measures or heating improvements have been deemed necessary by the council’s Home Energy Conservation Officer, and assistance is not available via any of the currently supported national schemes
you must have occupied your home as your only or main residence for at least three years immediately prior to the date of application for assistance

This grant is discretionary and, subject to availability of funding, is targeted towards vulnerable owner-occupiers and private tenants who do not qualify for alternative Government funding through Warm Front. Such occupiers must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit, which will include:

income support
council tax benefit
housing benefit
job seeker's allowance [income based]
pension credit
income-related employment and support allowance
working tax or child tax credit [with an income less than £16,040 – this figure to be revised in line with government changes]
war disablement pension [which must include a mobility supplement or constant attendance allowance]
industrial injury disablement benefit [which must include constant attendance allowance]
attendance allowance.

Where a property is tenanted, a landlord may apply for affordable warmth grant, provided that the tenant is in receipt of a qualifying benefit, as above. In such cases the landlord may not increase the rent to reflect the increased amenity for a period of two years following the grant payment.

What if I qualify for renewals assistance?

If the council has offered you renewals assistance, you may also qualify for an affordable warmth grant, but this will be subject to satisfying the above criteria.

Who chooses the contractor?

This depends upon the nature of the work but all eligible applicants for direct energy house assistance are usually assisted either by the Eco Hut or by the Home Information and Improvement Agency, Warrington Whia, who will usually employ a builder from their approved list to undertake the works on your behalf.

How can I make an enquiry?

You can obtain the relevant forms and details to register your enquiry by contacting:

Private Sector Housing, Environment & Regeneration Directorate, PO BOX 875, Warrington WA1 1WP

Call
01925 248483 / 248487