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Leeds City Council started a new scheme this week (January 3) to help hundreds of local homes save energy and enjoy green heating for free.
The government is giving £15.5 million from the Home Upgrade Grant to help run this new scheme, which is being run by the council’s Home Energy Help team in partnership with Everwarm, an energy services company. For this grant to be given, a home must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) between D and G, have a low income, and not be connected to the gas grid.
As part of the scheme, the council will install new insulation, heat pumps, and solar panels free of charge in qualified homes. Landlords who qualify for the scheme will receive two-thirds of the installation fees for the same changes.
The EPC for more than half of Leeds’ privately rented or owned homes got less than a ‘C‘ grade in 2021, according to Leeds City Council. In 2020, one in six households was considered to be living in fuel poverty, which means they live in a home that isn’t very energy efficient and their income is below the poverty line after paying their energy bills.
| Councillor Mohammed Rafique, executive member for climate, energy, environment, and green heating space at Leeds City Council, said,
“While some homeowners can afford to invest in energy-saving measures with the right financial and technical advice, we know that many others will need additional support to access the benefits of green heating and home upgrades.”
“As a council, we’re determined to make it easier for Leeds homeowners and landlords to access the Home Energy Help they need to save money and cut carbon.” |
Government grants to bolster energy efficiency and decarbonised heat
Similar funds have been given to councils across England as part of the Home Upgrade Grant, which began in April 2023 and ends in March 2025. £10 million pounds, and £12 million pounds. These funds will be used to improve the energy economy and provide low-carbon green heating that will help in achieving net-zero CO2 emissions.
The scheme, and therefore the grant, aligns with another government project that aims to encourage the use of heat pumps in particular. Heat pumps and biomass boilers can get grants through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which began in May 2022.
| Ground and air source heat pump funds increased from £5,000 to £7,500 in October 2023. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said that after the increase, 57% more people have applied. |
The most recent investment was £1.5 billion in December 2023. This may have been because the date for 2025 was extended to 2028 in the March announcement of Powering Up The Britain.
In the UK, solar panels have also made progress in recent months. The first solar net-zero substation in the country, made up of 91 solar panels, went live in Lancashire just last month. And with their combined 280 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, two care homes in Dundee will produce 90MWh of energy each year. Solar Power Portal, our sister site, has both of these items.
