Liverpool secures funding to make homes energy efficient

Residents are being given the chance to make their homes more energy efficient and cut bills, thanks to government funding that Liverpool City Council has been awarded to install energy saving measures.

To qualify for the improvements homeowners must have a combined household income of less than £30,000 and the property must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E, F or G.

Eligible residents will have a free property survey, providing recommendations on the types of improvements that can be made to the property to save on fuel bills and reduce carbon emissions.

Examples of measures that could be introduced include cavity wall and loft insulation, underfloor heating, energy efficient doors or the replacement of single-glazed windows.

Cllr Abdul Qadir, Liverpool’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: ‘Seventeen per cent of people in our city live in fuel poverty, which is made worse because their houses are not energy efficient or adequately insulated.

‘It is a fact that living in cold, damp homes, which are inadequately heated has a direct impact on health, so I urge anyone who meets the criteria to come forward, as this scheme is fully funded for those who are eligible.’

Anju Rooney, healthy homes team programme manager, added: ‘We’re committed to working with residents make their homes warmer and more comfortable to live in. Energy costs are rising, but by making some changes to existing energy efficient measures, households could see a real reduction in their energy bills.’

Private tenants who rent their home can still apply for the scheme, subject to eligibility, but the landlord will be required to fund a third of the costs of the measures installed, up to a maximum of £5,000.

Funding will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis, and anyone interested in the scheme should contact the Council’s Healthy Homes team on 0800 012 1754.

In related news, the use of fossil fuels to heat newly built social homes will end from October, as the Welsh government commits to using renewable energies in its new build standards.

Photo by Phil Kiel