Conwy Council Home Upgrade Grants

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Conwy Council is stepping in to help those who live within the Conwy area who don’t claim benefits to access heating and insulation funding under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). The council have set their rules for eligibility to insulation and heating grants. Find out what the rules are and how to claim these grants.

What grant schemes are available to Conwy residents?

Energy bills are rising, so now is the time to make your home more energy-efficient and help prevent increased costs associated with keeping your home warm. You may have heard of the Green Homes Grant that was offered to make energy-efficient changes in your home. That scheme finished in March 2021 for new applicants, but there is another scheme that is available until March 2026 called the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

Grants available under the Energy Company Obligation include things like insulation and heating. The scheme targets anyone with high energy bills and was designed to reduce carbon emissions. It’s available to people that claim benefits and also anyone determined by the Conwy Local Authority as eligible for the scheme. This scheme is a great opportunity for residents to make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce monthly heating bills. However, not everyone is eligible for funding, so have a read of this blog to work out if you can benefit from this generous funding.

What free home upgrades can Conwy residents get?

Homeowners who are struggling with their heating bills are being given the opportunity to improve the efficiency of their home’s heating and insulation under the Energy Company Obligation. Grants available to Conwy residents include:

Boiler grants are expected to be removed from the grant scheme (called ECO4) that starts in April 2022. If you think you might be eligible for a boiler grant, you should apply for this grant as soon as possible so you don’t miss out (we’d actually advise applying for all the grants as soon as you can so you don’t miss out if the rules change).

Who is eligible for grants in Conwy?

The government decided that the Energy Company Obligation should help low-income and struggling households and there are two main ways to qualify for funding; either by receiving benefits or through the Conwy Council LA Flex or Local Authority Flexible Energy rules.

If you receive/have received benefits within the last 18 months:

If you are receiving, or have received benefits within the last 18 months, you can apply for ECO grants if you receive/received any of the following benefits:

  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Carer’s Allowance
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Constant Attendance Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – income-based (not contribution-based ESA)
  • Income Support
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) – income-based (not contribution-based JSA)
  • Pension Guarantee Credit
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Tax Credits (both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit)
  • Universal Credit
  • War Pensions Mobility Supplement
  • Working Tax Credit

There are no income limits if you claim one of the benefits above. However, the Government is planning to remove a number of these benefits from the next phase of the scheme. Therefore you should apply now in particular if you claim any of the disability benefits listed above, as they are going to be removed from the scheme in its next phase.

Additionally, if you claim Child Benefit you could also be eligible for grants under the benefits route to eligibility. If it is the only benefit you get, you also have to meet income rules set by Ofgem and you’ll need to complete a Child Benefit declaration.

If you don’t claim benefits but if you live in the Conwy Council and are struggling to pay your bills:

If you are struggling to pay your electricity and gas bills but don’t claim benefits, you could still get access to these grants as you could qualify for funding though Conwy Council’s ‘LA Flex scheme’. This scheme provides funding for more people and there’s more about the rules in section 4 below.

Conwy Council’s Local Authority Flexible Energy rules

The Local Authority or LA Flex scheme enables more households to benefit from the ECO scheme. Conwy Council’s eligibility rules target households that have high energy bills and a low income, as well as vulnerable households.

To be eligible you need to meet the following criteria:

The property you live in must have an energy rating of E, F or G on a recent Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or have a score greater than or equal to 15 points in the following table:

TABLE

If you don’t know the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating for your property, or whether there is a certificate, you can look it up on the Government’s EPC register.

OR

Your household needs to have a resident that is vulnerable to the effects of a cold home;

Vulnerability is determined where a member of the household is/has:

  • Aged over 60 (proof of age necessary)
  • Children under 5, in education or a pregnant mother
  • Respiratory conditions (in particular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and childhood asthma
  • Cardiovascular conditions (e.g. ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease)
  • Moderate to severe mental illness or conditions (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
  • Substance misusers
  • Dementia
  • Neurobiological and related diseases (e.g. fibromyalgia, ME)
  • Terminally ill / Cancer
  • People with disabilities
  • Haemoglobinopathies (sickle cell disease, thalassaemia)
  • Severe learning disabilities
  • Autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases (e.g. lupus, MS, diabetes, HIV)
  • People with addictions
  • People who have attended hospital due to a fall
  • Recent immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees (if living in private tenure)
  • People who move in and out of homelessness

AND

Be either a household in fuel poverty (spending 10%of household income on your fuel cost) or on a low income under the household income limits in the following table:

What properties are eligible for grants?

The Energy Company Obligation is designed to make energy savings within homes and is available to all property types, including houses, flats, and bungalows.

The funding levels are highest for the most inefficient properties and the existing heating at your property is important in determining which grants you can apply for.

  • Private rented properties are only eligible for the scheme if they have an EPC rating of A, B, C, D or E
  • Housing association properties are only eligible for the scheme if they have an EPC rating of E, F or G
  • Homeowners are eligible for the scheme with any EPC rating if applying through the benefits route. However, if homeowners qualify through meeting Conwy Council’s LA Flex rules your property is likely to require an EPC rating of E, F or G unless there are residents that are vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.

How to apply for a grant

Applying for a grant couldn’t be easier, just fill out a short form and answer some questions about you and your property. Your responses will help us identify which grants you are entitled to.

Apply today at https://www.ecoproviders.co.uk/eco3-grant-application-form

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This is the perfect time to reach out for funding. Rising energy bills are worrying at any time.  Going green will not only save you money but it will also benefit the environment as your home will produce less carbon. As a resident of Conwy, you have a range of ways to qualify for funding and hopefully you can take advantage of these grants which will keep your bills down in the colder months.

We never know when the rules will change so fill out the short form to see if you qualify.

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