Energy efficiency grants

Central government has announced a range of support payments targeting the rising cost of energy bills. The support available varies based upon your circumstances and in most cases is credited automatically.

For the latest information see Help with your energy bills (GOV.UK)

The Energy Bills Support Scheme provides a £400 payment that is split into £66/£67 payments over six months from October 2022 to March 2023. For most households this is applied as credit automatically or issued in vouchers to prepayment customers.

The vouchers for prepayment customers are sent direct from the electricity supplier and are valid for 3 months. If you have not received your vouchers or they have expired, please contact your energy supplier directly.

If you use alternative fuels for heating such as bottle gas, oil, wood, or solid fuel you may also be eligible for a £200 Alternative Fuels Payment. Most homes that are eligible for this payment will get it automatically as a credit on their electricity bills from February 2023.

Households without a direct relationship to a domestic electricity supplier, for example some park home and houseboat residents or those with shared heat network systems, are now able to apply to claim these payments.

For more information, see Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically (GOV.UK). The scheme is now open to all eligible households across Great Britain until 31 May 2023.

Our Warm Homes service can signpost residents on a low income to access local offers available via District and Borough Councils, the Lightbulb Housing Service or other third-party charitable organisations.

If you’re not sure where to start, read our advice booklet:

The booklet has advice and practical steps you can take to reduce energy usage, access benefits and signposting to wider resources.

Alternatively, complete a self-referral for advice via our Warm Homes service where further information and resources are available.

Information and support is available for residents struggling with the rising cost of living. See Find help with the cost of living.

A national register of warm spaces has been set-up to support those struggling to keep warm. 

Green Living Leicestershire is a partnership between Leicestershire authorities to deliver projects supporting sustainability and Net Zero - the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible. 

The home energy grant is administered by the County Council's Warm Homes service together with YES Energy Solutions and can provide homeowners with fully-funded energy efficiency measures improving the warmth and comfort of homes, whilst also reducing energy bills, carbon emissions and levels of fuel poverty across the county.

For more information see Green Living Leicestershire – home energy grant.

Grants are available via larger energy suppliers and installers working on their behalf for a range of insulation measures and support to upgrade or replace inefficient or broken heating systems.

Some measures require a household contribution and the measures available from providers may vary.

ECO grants are primarily directed at homeowners, with more limited measures available to private rental and housing association properties dependent on Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. 

Eligible households must be in receipt of qualifying benefits, or on a low income and qualify via Local Authority Flexible Eligibility which takes into account household circumstances and property characteristics.

For more information see Energy Company Obligation (ECO) -  home energy efficiency.

The Government is providing grants to encourage property owners to install low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps and biomass boilers, through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS).

Grants of up £6,000 are available to subsidise the upfront cost of low carbon heating technologies.

The scheme is open to domestic and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales. It runs from 2022 to 2025.

For more information visit the Ofgem website.