GRANTS

There are currently a variety of grants available to improve the energy efficiency of Lancashire homes, but eligibility can be complicated.

• The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) is a council scheme that can help households on incomes below £36,000 that don’t heat their home with a mains gas boiler to get insulation, solar panels and better heating. Visit the official council Cosy Homes in Lancashire (ChiL) site to find out more

• The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a Government scheme that offers a grant of £7,500 for homes installing a heat pump or biomass boiler. Households can’t access it directly – instead it is paid to your chosen installer and is often included when installation companies are advertising heat pumps at a low price. For more information on BUS see https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme

• The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is an energy supplier scheme that can offer homes in council tax bands A-D, and with an energy inefficient home, a free or subsidised single insulation measure such as cavity wall or loft insulation. It is up to energy suppliers to work with installers to offer a scheme in a way that they see fit. The first year of the scheme was disappointing with many suppliers not taking part but from summer 2024 the number of installations are increasing. You can start an application at the official government website: https://www.gov.uk/apply-great-british-insulation-scheme

• The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is another scheme run by energy suppliers that helps households in receipt of means tested benefits, or on low incomes, and who live in very energy inefficient homes. It is up to the energy suppliers and the installers they work with to find the households that need help and approach them with an offer – this could be through a knock on the door, a phone call, leaflet, or social media advert. The criteria are very strict and it’s not easy for a household to refer themselves for ECO, but you can find out more about how Lancashire councils are helping to make local households eligible and support them to receive installations at the Cosy Homes in Lancashire website: https://www.chil.uk.com/eco-and-eco-flex-funding

Would you like some help to find grants that are suitable for your property? You can use our Fairer Warmth tool to get personalised recommendations. Just enter your address and few other details when promoted and we will display the different support that we think is available to you, wherever you are in Lancashire.