The Home Upgrade Grant: Phase 2 funding, which comes from DESNZ’s Energy Efficiency scheme was awarded to Action on Energy Cambridgeshire – an established countywide partnership involving Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.
Action on Energy Cambridgeshire will be using the £11.5M Energy Efficiency scheme grant funding to deliver home energy efficiency improvements to properties across Cambridgeshire that are not heated by mains gas. The improvements may consist of wall and loft insulation and could include low carbon heating solutions.
Homeowners may be eligible for this funding if:
- Their home do not have mains gas central heating; and
- Their household (or if rented out, their tenants) have a combined annual income of up to £31,000; they are in receipt of means tested benefits; or they live in an area pre-identified by government; and
- Their property has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D-G, (D-E for private rented properties), or if their property is a park home.
Cambridge City Council, itself, has also been awarded up to £2.3M under the DESNZ Help to Heat scheme Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to which the council plans to contribute an additional £4.3M. This government grant, together with the council’s own funds, will be used over the next two years to continue the council’s work of insulating its council owned homes, targeting solid walled properties with an EPC rating of ‘D’.
The retrofit work will include measures such as external wall insulation, loft insulation and improved ventilation to bring the EPC rating of these homes up to at least a ‘C’.
Cllr Rosy Moore, Executive Councillor for Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity, said: “We are pleased to be receiving funding from the Energy Efficiency and Help to Heat schemes as this will support our work to improve energy efficiency standards for homes across Cambridge.
“Rising energy costs are a concern for many of us, and we hope that through delivering energy improvements residents will be able to see a reduction in their energy bills.
“Having more energy efficient homes also means that we will be able to reduce the amount of carbon emissions produced by properties. We are committed to tackling the climate emergency, and as part of our Climate Change Strategy, will continue to work to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions from homes in Cambridge. We are providing a range of support for people to retrofit their homes and this funding will enable us to significantly expand this work.
“We are committed to supporting our residents to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and to achieving our vision for Cambridge to be net zero carbon by 2030.”
Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “This investment will help thousands of households to heat their homes for less, keep them warm for longer and could save hundreds on their annual energy bill.
“The green energy sector is growing, and this funding will support green jobs and provide the training needed to deliver these vital upgrades to homes.”
