Grants to help keep your home warmer this winter and beyond

As the cold weather continues to bite across the county, householders in York are being reminded that they can apply for up to 100%-funded grants to help insulate energy inefficient homes and reduce heating bills.

Funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Tackling Fuel Poverty Programme, the scheme, which has been running since early 2017, will help pay for the cost of topping up existing loft insulation or installing new cavity wall insulation.

Householders struggling to heat their homes and earning less than £20,000 a year combined income, can apply for 100% funding while 75% grants are available for those households earning between £20,000 and £35,000.

Residents who think they may be eligible should call City of York Council on 019040 552300 or email betterhomes@york.gov.uk.

To qualify, homes should have suitable, un-insulated cavity walls or minimal loft insulation.

New energy efficiency grants available in York

A new two-year project to help improve the energy efficiency of the private homes of lower-income households in York is being launched this week by City of York Council.

cavity-wall-insulation-illustration-244136Grants and loans will be available to less well off households towards the cost of cavity wall and loft insulation. A small number of grants are also available to insulate loft extensions and solid walls.

Households with annual incomes below £20,000 per year could receive 100 per cent funding whilst those with annual incomes between £20,000 and £35,000 could receive 75 per cent towards the cost of the improvements.

Qualifying households will be in the five priority wards:

  • Micklegate,
  • Guildhall,
  • Holgate,
  • Clifton and
  • Fishergate.

These have been identified as having higher numbers of poorly-insulated privately rented or owned homes and where households suffer higher rates of fuel poverty.

City of York Council will be working with Willmott Dixon to deliver these energy efficiency measures through the Better Homes Yorkshire framework set up to support the ten local authorities in the Leeds City Region to work together to secure funding and improve properties.

This funding follows the council’s Northern Health and Housing Summit ‘Better Homes, Better Health’ held in York in June this year, when the impact of cold and how to tackle it was a central theme.

Research commissioned by the council from the Building Research Establishment identified that cold homes are associated with a range of poor health outcomes such as respiratory andcirculatory problems, and can exacerbate certain conditions including asthma, diabetes. Recovery following hospital discharge can also take longer and sometimes increases the risk of conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Eligible residents living in the priority wards who need cavity wall or loft insulation should contact the council’s Housing Standards and Adaptations team on 01904 552300 or email housing.standards@york.gov.uk. Residents not living in these wards but who have low incomes with high heating costs may also be eligible for help and should also call 01904 552300.

For help with energy debts or other advice contact Citizens Advice York on 03444 111 444, visit www.yorkcab.org.uk; or contact Age UK York on 01904 627995.
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