A new scheme has been launched to help homeowners make their properties greener, more sustainable and save money on energy bills.
City of Wolverhampton Council, in partnership with Marches Energy Agency, will deliver the Green Homes Grant - Local Authority Delivery Scheme. The scheme will enable city homeowners on low incomes, who may be struggling to pay their heating bills, to make energy efficient improvements to their homes that will help to keep them warmer and reduce energy use.
Homeowners will be able take advantage of improvements such as floor and loft insulation, storage heaters and energy efficient windows and doors fitted in their homes. These implementations will assist with reducing home energy use by keeping the heat in, assisting residents to stay warm and improving the homes’ overall energy-efficiency creating year on year savings for the homeowners. This phase of the LAD2 scheme will be open to homeowners in the Pennfields area of the city.
To be eligible for the fund, applicants need to be homeowner occupiers with an income of less than £30,000 (before tax and housing expenses). The homes will need to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rated D or below. An EPC can be provided if one is not available.
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, City of Wolverhampton Council cabinet member for city assets and housing, said: “This is a really fantastic scheme that could help many households make their homes more energy efficient.
“The scheme will make energy-saving improvements to the homes of people who may be struggling to pay their heating bills and will help to make homes greener and more sustainable. The grant could make the difference between having a warm home or not.
“I would encourage anyone who might be suitable for this scheme to apply and take advantage of the opportunity to upgrade the energy efficiency of their property.” While this scheme is specifically aimed at homeowners in the Pennfield’s area of the city, all city residents who meet the criteria can complete the application process so that they may be considered for future schemes.
City of Wolverhampton Council declared a 'climate emergency' in July 2019. In order to support national efforts to combat climate change, City of Wolverhampton Council is committed to reducing its own carbon emissions by 95 per cent by 2028 and, following public consultation, has set the target of achieving the same results for the city by 2041, in line with the region. To achieve this, every institution, business, and person will have to make changes to the way they conduct day-to-day activities; the energy we use, the way we travel, and the things we consume.
