Energy saving grants and offers

There is financial help available if you're planning to make energy saving improvements to your home. The Government, energy suppliers and local authorities all provide grants to help you implement energy saving measures in your home.

Most of the grants and offers you can benefit from are provided by three main groups.

The Government

The UK Government funds schemes providing up to £2,700 to households on certain benefits (see below for examples of eligibility criteria) to improve their heating and energy efficiency. In England the scheme is known as Warm Front, in Northern Ireland it is Warm Homes, in Scotland it is Warm Deal and the Central Heating Programme and in Wales it is the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme. The eligibility criteria for the schemes differ between countries - with some schemes you need to be in receipt of certain benefits, whilst others are available to anyone over a certain age. Full details can be found on the websites listed below.

Examples of Warmfront eligibility criteria - If you own your own home or rent it from a private landlord and if:

• You are 60 years or older and are in receipt of one or more benefits. Benefits include: income support, council tax benefit, housing benefit, job seekers allowance and pension credit.
  or
• You have a child under 16 or you are pregnant and have been given maternity MAT B1 and are also in receipt of benefits such as income support, council tax benefit etc.
  or
• You are in receipt of one or more benefits such as disability living allowance, child tax credit with an income of less than £15,460, housing benefit and disability premium etc.

Then you could be entitled to a warm front grant.

Visit the following websites for more information on the eligibility criteria for a:

• Warmfront grant (England)
• Warm Homes grant (Northern Ireland)
• Warm Deal and the Central heating programme (Scotland)
• Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (Wales)

Please note that grants levels vary.

Energy Suppliers

The Government's Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) has been replaced by the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) this means energy suppliers with a certain number of customers operating in Great Britain are obliged to achieve targets for improving home energy efficiency. The suppliers therefore provide a range of offers which significantly reduce the cost of installing energy efficiency measures. What's more, you can take up offers from any of the energy companies, regardless of who supplies your gas and electricity.

Local authorities

Most Local authorities provide grants and offers for local residents to install certain energy efficiency measures in their home.

Source :http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/what_can_i_do_today/energy_saving_grants_and_offers