THOUSANDS of struggling households could see their energy bills slashed by up to £400 a year with a new £75million fund.
Fresh funding for a free energy efficiency upgrades programme will help social and low-income households slash their bills.
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Thousands of homes with poor insulation and outdated heating systems are in line for upgrades, the Government has announced.
The funding will be offered to 42 councils and housing associations across England to help them co-fund installations in up to 8,000 homes.
The Government said it will also support more than 1,300 jobs in the UK’s retrofit industry.
It comes as the latest round of awards from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), which has allocated more than £1 billion since 2019 to help upgrade around 100,000 households by September 2025.
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Under the scheme, households will be able to retrofit their homes with wall and loft insulation, double glazing, heat pumps, and solar panels.
They will not be limited to one installation and could get their home insulated and have their doors and windows upgraded to reduce heat leakage and cut their energy bills.
If eligible, those living in social housing will not need to do anything, as their housing provider will contact them.
Other households will need to check what their local authority has on offer, and they may need to apply for help.
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Different local authorities will deliver the funding in different ways – so you will need to check directly with your council.
North Yorkshire Council, Portsmouth City Council, Wandle Housing Association in London and Gentoo Group in Sunderland are among those receiving funding from this round, which is open to applicants who had not received SHDF money in the previous wave.
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Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said: “Our Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is helping families to keep their homes warm and their bills down.
“We want to support hard-working families to make changes, rather than burdening them with unnecessary costs.
“This funding today will help up to a further 8,800 households save around £400 a year on their energy bills.”
Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: “Housing associations play a crucial role in helping the country to meet its net zero targets and are already leading the way on energy efficiency, but funding is essential for maintaining this work.
“The funding announced today will give housing associations the certainty and confidence they need to plan and deliver more retrofit projects, tackle fuel poverty, and improve their residents’ homes.”
The fund is part of a wider package of support from the Government to improve the energy efficiency and low carbon heating of homes and businesses across the country, reducing reliance on fossil fuel heating and reducing household energy bills.
Around £20 billion has been allocated over the current Parliament and into the next.
This includes money going towards measures like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which helps households make the switch from fossil fuel heating systems to cleaner low carbon alternatives.
Last week, the Government announced that rules requiring boiler companies to boost the number of heat pumps they sell – which prompted the firms to implement a so-called “boiler tax” – have been delayed by a year.
The clean heat market mechanism, which initially required boiler manufacturers to match, or substitute, 4% of their boiler sales with heat pumps or face a £3,000 fine for each missed installation, was due to be introduced on April 1.
Campaigners accused Ms Coutinho of giving in to big boiler manufacturers after she previously accused firms of “price gouging”.
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Ministers also announced changes to the £7,500 heat pump grants the Government is offering, with households no longer having to install loft and cavity wall insulation in their homes to qualify for the funding.
The measures are part of a target to help phase out gas boilers and deliver 600,000 clean electric heat pump installations a year by 2028.
What energy bill help is available?
THERE’S a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £1,500.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
