New home improvement grants of up to £10,000 to help residents save on energy bills

GREATER Manchester residents will be able to access grants of up to £10,000 towards the cost of installing energy efficiency measures in their homes, helping to cut bills and reduce their environmental footprint.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has been awarded £4.7 million in Government funding to roll out its new Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme across the city-region.

The grants can be used towards the cost of installing insulation, including external wall, loft and cavity wall insulation, and low carbon heating systems, for example an air source heat pump.

Homes receiving these installations can also apply for additional measures, such as new doors and windows to replace single glazed windows, and smart heating controls.

The GMCA is working with energy provider E.ON to deliver the scheme, although residents do not need to be E.ON customers to apply.

To be eligible for the grant of up to £10,000, applicants should have a gross annual household income of less than £30,000 and be living in homes with a low energy efficiency rating (EPC band E, F or G).

Cllr Andrew Western, GMCA Lead for the Green City-Region, said: “The Green Homes Grant scheme is an excellent initiative to help our residents cut down on energy bills and improve the energy efficiency of their homes. It will also make a positive contribution to the kind of retrofitting necessary to decarbonise our housing stock and help create the new skills and jobs that our city-region needs.

“Improving energy efficiency is one of the most important – and achievable – steps in addressing our impact on the environment. It’s something we take very seriously here in Greater Manchester, and I would encourage anyone who is eligible to apply for a grant.”

Michael Lewis, E.ON UK Chief Executive, said: “Improving energy efficiency makes people’s homes more comfortable, healthier and cheaper to run. We’ve seen those benefits first-hand through the work we’ve done with local authorities around the country, investing hundreds of millions over the last decade or so to ensure homes are fit for the future.

“By working with GMCA to deliver free energy saving improvements through the Green Homes Grant local authority delivery scheme we’re further demonstrating the ability of investing in housing to ease fuel poverty and energise the local economy which is all the more vital after Covid-19 and lockdown.”

Applicants who qualify for the scheme will receive a home survey to determine which improvements are suitable for their homes, which would then be installed by a TrustMark-registered contractor. All surveys and installations will be carried out in full accordance with Public Health England guidelines to protect the health and safety of both residents and staff.

For more information or to express an interest, call E.ON’s Green Homes Grant team on 0333 202 4820, e-mail greenhomesgrant@eonenergy.com, or visit www.eonenergy.com/greenhomesgrant.

Article Published: 09/11/2020 11:46 AM