More than 200 people set for free energy-saving home improvements in Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has been awarded £6.5 million as part of a national scheme that will see more than 115,000 homes across England benefit from energy efficiency upgrades that will make homes more comfortable and help lower energy bills.

The funding has come from the Government's Home Upgrade Grant scheme (HUG) which, together with the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), are collectively worth £1.4 billion nationally and will be used to fund a range of energy-saving measures.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has been awarded HUG2 funding to improve 317 homes across the borough over the next two years. The Council is now working with energy and sustainable solutions provider E.ON to improve the energy efficiency of homes across the area, at no cost to homeowners.

Residents who heat their home using oil, LPG, coal, wood or electricity and meet the eligibility criteria could benefit from a free upgrade. The upgrades available are an air source heat pump, solar panels, cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation and loft insulation.

To help raise awareness of the grants available, the E.ON team will be at the Market Gates Shopping Centre in Great Yarmouth from 11am on Thursday, November 23. People can pop by to speak to the team about how to get free energy efficiency upgrades and to find out if they are eligible for solar panels, air source heat pumps and insulation.

Rental properties will also be eligible for the grant - subject to a landlord contribution - as long as the landlord has four or fewer properties.

Nicola Turner, Great Yarmouth Borough Council's head of housing assets, said: ''We're delighted to have successfully secured this funding, so we can help residents who are living in our borough's least energy efficient homes. We intend to help those living in properties with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D or below and with no form of gas heating.

''We very much welcome this funding and the work E.ON is undertaking on our behalf will make a real difference to many of our residents.

''Across the borough of Great Yarmouth, properties in 1,282 postcode areas will be eligible for funding with no financial contribution, while in other areas, the works will be free to residents whose household income is less than £31,000.''

The national funding will go towards improvements to vulnerable households and those with no mains gas supply with an EPC rating of D or below.

Sarah Farmer, director of residential solutions at E.ON UK, 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 eligible households across Great Yarmouth as we work with Great Yarmouth Borough Council to install energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, solar panels or air source heat pumps."

Adam Scorer, Chief Executive of National Energy Action (NEA), said: ''This vital investment is desperately needed. Low-income households, in the least-efficient homes, are being hardest hit by the energy crisis and are having to pay hundreds of pounds more than the typical household just to heat and power their home to a minimum reasonable standard.

''As well as helping to abate the impact of high energy bills for thousands more households, we hope the investment can lessen some of the physical and mental health impacts for people unable to keep warm at home.''

To qualify for this scheme, people need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

·              Be a resident in the borough

·              Use oil, LPG, electricity, or another form of fuel to heat their home

·              Have an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G (don't worry if you don't know, E.ON can help you find out the EPC)

To find out more, Great Yarmouth residents should call E.ON's advice team on 0333 202 4820 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) or apply online at eonenergy.com/grant-finder.

Applications take only a few minutes and, for applicants that qualify, E.ON will carry out a free home survey to confirm what upgrades the property requires.

More information about the scheme is also available on the Great Yarmouth Borough Council website at https://www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/free-energy-efficiency-improvements