Extra £1.9 million to bring energy efficiency upgrades to 175 more households in Newcastle

More low income families with energy inefficient housing will be able to get homes upgraded for free thanks to a successful £1.9m bid for funding.

A cartoon of a house in a woolly hat with the text "£1.9m extra to upgrade low income homes"

Newcastle City Council has secured the money – which is on top of the £1m already agreed back in November - from the Government’s Green Homes Grant scheme.

Cllr Clare Penny-Evans, Cabinet member for communities and climate change, said: “Everyone wants to live in a comfortable, warm home that is cheap to heat, and which allows them to remain healthy.

“Unfortunately, in our city there are more than the national average number of households for which that may not be the case.

“Already the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme is allowing us, working with E.ON, to install external wall insulation and low carbon heating, reducing bills, cutting fuel poverty and, for families in 90 of the most energy inefficient properties, making what could be life changing improvements.

“And this extra £1.9m will allow us to expand the project, bringing benefits to a further 175 homes, and allowing us to extend the technology we can offer to also include electricity producing solar panels.

“Together with the BEIS funded Electrification of Heat project these initiatives are reducing the impact our homes have on the environment, helping towards our ambitious collective ambitions to achieve net zero emissions in Newcastle by 2030.

“We can only encourage anyone who thinks they could be eligible to get in touch and see whether they can benefit.”

Who is eligible?

The energy efficiency of homes is set out on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with properties given a rating from A to G.

The Local Authority Delivery (LAD) scheme aims to improve homes in the least efficient three bands, E, F and G.

Anyone who comes forward and is in need of help could also benefit from other measures such as cavity wall or underfloor insulation, and boiler replacements, with the council’s energy services team seeking to identify properties that could be eligible for other existing grants.

Nigel Dewbery, director of residential solutions at E.ON, said: “Improving the energy efficiency of homes across the UK is key to meeting the nation’s net-zero targets, and can dramatically improve people’s living conditions, by helping to increase their comfort and reduce their energy bills.

“We’re delighted to be bringing these benefits to households across Newcastle as we continue to work with Newcastle City Council to install energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, solar panels or air source heat pumps, in the homes of eligible residents.”