Denbighshire Council Home Upgrade Grants
Are you looking for help with home improvements or are you interested in making your home more energy efficient? If so, then Energy Company Obligation grants for Denbighshire Council residents are the perfect opportunity. These grants are designed to make your home more comfortable and reduce monthly bills by upgrading insulation and installing improved heating systems. The ECO ProvidersUK will provide all necessary information on this topic in the following blog post – read on to learn more!
What grant schemes are available to Denbighshire residents?
Residents who need help paying for home energy improvements, insulation replacement or insulation installation can now apply for Energy Company Obligation grants. The Energy Company Obligation scheme started in 2013 and it will run until March 2026.
The Energy Company Obligation grant scheme is a very generous energy-efficiency government program that is available to Denbighshire Council residents through The ECO Providers UK.
The Energy Company Obligation grant scheme was designed to improve the energy efficiency of homes in Denbighshire and throughout the UK, with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions and bringing down the monthly bills of the most energy inefficient homes.
Energy Company Obligation grants can cover a significant portion of the cost (and sometimes the total cost) of upgrading your home heating systems. The grants are particularly generous for properties that have old heating systems or where they are heated by electricity. If you receive certain benefits the grants are not income-restricted, but there are income requirements if you don’t receive benefits.
In addition to grants for heating, grants are also available for insulation, draught-proofing and home ventilation. However, the resident must meet the eligibility criteria to receive a grant, either by receiving benefits or by meeting Denbighshire Council’s eligibility rules.
What free home upgrades can Denbighshire Council residents get?
Grants are available for home improvements such as insulation and heating upgrades and often ventilation will be upgraded at the same time due to the requirements of the scheme. Grants are delivered by registered installers such as the ECO Providers UK, who can accept applications from residents within the Denbighshire Council area.
Grants can be accessed by homeowners, private tenants or landlords. Let’s take a closer look at each type of grant that’s available:
Boiler grants
These are only available for owner occupiers, and they tend to give a discount on the installation rather than being fully funded. Some installers can only upgrade boilers when they can also install insulation (known as a dual measure in the industry). However, boiler grant eligibility rules are set to be restricted significantly in the next phase of the scheme starting in April 2022. From that point onwards very few boilers will qualify, so if you’d like to apply for a boiler grant you should do so as soon as you can.
Cavity wall insulation grants
If your property has uninsulated cavity walls you could get cavity wall insulation installed for free. In some cases, if your cavity walls are filled you can get the existing insulation extracted and refilled.
External or internal wall insulation grants
If your property has solid walls and your main heating type is electricity there are both internal and external wall insulation grant options. Unfortunately, solid wall insulation isn’t currently available in properties with mains gas boilers (which rules out most households). If your home is heated by electricity these grants are very generous!
First-time central heating grants
If your property has never had central heating, you could get a grant to install central heating and a mains gas boiler. The grant covers installation, fitting and materials (including pipework). If you don’t have a mains gas connection, you can apply for a funded gas line installation through a funding partner.
Loft or roof insulation
If your property doesn’t have existing insulation, you could be losing heat through the roof. Fully funded grants are available for loft and roof insulation; however, you’ll need to have less than 100mm of existing insulation to be eligible.
There are quite a few different rules around eligibility, so it is a good idea to speak to an installer to see which grants you can access. The scheme is administered by Ofgem, and The Eco Providers UK know the scheme rules very well (and can advise you on which grants you could be entitled to).
Who is eligible for grants in Denbighshire?
If you are receiving benefits, you can apply for ECO grants very easily directly with The Eco Providers UK. Qualifying benefits include:
- 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
Denbighshire Council’s Local Authority Flexible Energy rules
The Local Authority or LA Flex scheme enables more households to benefit from the ECO scheme. Denbighshire Council have tailored their eligibility rules towards fuel poverty and vulnerable households.
Qualifying through your income and high energy costs
If your annual household income, after mortgage or rental costs have been subtracted, is equal to or less than that shown in the table below you will qualify for funding.
Qualifying through your income and being classed as vulnerable
If your annual household income is less than £21,352 and you have someone living at your home that is vulnerable you could qualify for funding.
To be classed as vulnerable, a member of the household will need to include one of the following:
- Aged over 60 (proof of age necessary)
- Children under 5, in education or a pregnant mother
- Respiratory disease (COPD, asthma)
- Cardiovascular disease (e.g. ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease)
- Moderate to severe mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
- Substance misusers
- Dementia
- Neurobiological and related diseases (e.g. fibromyalgia, ME)
- Cancer
- Limited mobility
- Haemoglobinopathies (sickle cell disease, thalassaemia)
- Severe learning disabilities
- Autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases (e.g. lupus, MS, diabetes, HIV)
What properties are eligible for grants?
The most inefficient properties are usually the homes that are eligible for ECO grants. The most generous funding is available to properties with electric heating but there are also grants available to properties heated by mains gas.
The rules are complex, and they are set by Ofgem (who administer the scheme), but most registered installers like The Eco Providers UK will be able to assess what you are entitled to.
How to apply for a grant
You should apply for an ECO Grant with a registered installer. All registered installers will have Trustmark registration to show they are approved to install measures, and usually they will have other accreditations.
Once you have signed up with a provider, which can be done quickly and easily, full advice on your entitlement will be given over the phone or via email. The installer will take care of all the arrangements including registrations and warranties.
Apply today at https://www.ecoproviders.co.uk/eco3-grant-application-form
If you’re on a low-income,living in Denbighshire Council and have an old boiler or inefficient heatingsystem then contact us today. We can help by checking if you are eligible forenergy-saving grants that could make life that bit easier (and warmer!).