Warm homes scheme

Many of the discount and energy grant schemes previously offered by Dartford Borough Council closed at the end of September 2022

The closed schemes included:

Energy Company Obligation 3 (ECO3)
Local Authority Delivery Scheme 1b (LAD1b)
Local Authority Delivery Scheme 2 (LAD2)
First Time Central Heating Scheme (Warm Home Fund)

The Local Authority Delivery Scheme 3 (LAD3) closed at the end of September 2023

Energy Efficiency Grant Schemes

If your home has inadequate heating or is lacking insulation the Council may be able to help through grant funded schemes. The Schemes and funding available does regularly change, however most schemes are focused on helping residents on a low income with a vulnerability to living in a cold home which could be due to age or specific health conditions. Some schemes also have a focus on the resident being in receipt of specified benefits.

The type of measure and the amount of financial assistance available for qualifying households is subject to the results of a survey of your property.

For more information please email energy@dartford.gov.uk or call 01322 343056

Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 (HUG2)

The Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 (HUG2) is currently open for applications until 31 March 2025

Dartford Borough Council is working with Dover District Council to deliver Home Upgrade Grant 2(HUG2) grant funding to owner occupied households in the Borough that do not use a gas boiler as the main heating system to provide energy efficiency upgrades and clean heating systems.

The Home Upgrade Grant 2 is available for households in receipt of certain benefits or on a low-income.

To be eligible both of the following criteria must be met and evidenced:-

The property’s Energy Performance Certificate must be D, E, F or G rated. Check your EPC rating.
- If your property does not have an EPC, this can be carried out as part of the scheme, providing the household meets the income criteria below.
The household must meet one of the following:
- the property is located in an economically deprived postcode area (based on data drawn from the Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2019) or
- In receipt of means-tested benefits (including all benefits except Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance) or
- Have an annual gross household income below £36,000

Some of the eligible measures include:

Cavity wall insulation
External wall insulation
Loft insulation including top ups
Air source heat pumps
Solar photovoltaics (please note we are currently unable to fund Solar Battery Storage)

Please note that grant conditions require a fabric first approach to be adopted, therefore insulation measures will be prioritised before renewables.

Further information is available through the Government’s Eligibility Checker, Apply for help to improve a home with no gas boiler (Home Upgrade Grant) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or by email (energy@dartford.gov.uk) or phone 01322 343056.

Connected for Warmth

This is a new project which our Contractor has recently obtained funding for. The scheme supports loft and cavity wall insulation and grant funding will cover in most cases, the cost of loft and cavity wall insulation and the upgrades of mechanical ventilation in wet rooms. Eligibility criteria is in place.

Dartford Borough Council can make referrals for this project.

For further information please contact us Online: Contact the Environmental Promotions Team or call 01322 343056.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) Local Authority Flexible Eligibility:

Latest changes to ECO (ECO4) enables Local Authorities to refer residents for assistance who are in fuel poverty, on a low income or are vulnerable to living in a cold home due to age/health conditions and who have previously not qualified for assistance under previous benefit based schemes .

It now includes a wider package of assistance for residents who are in fuel poverty, on a low income or are vulnerable to living in a cold home due to age/health conditions. The additional eligibility criteria are set out under the Dartford Borough Council Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent.

The Dartford Borough Council Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent sets out the additional eligibility criteria.

Please note that we are currently reviewing the Dartford Borough Council ECO4 Flex Statement of Intent version 3 following recent changes to the ECO4 scheme. At present we are not actively promoting ECO4 until our Statement of Intent has been revised.

Dartford Borough Council ECO4 Flex Statement of Intent version 3 (22 June 2022)

ECO – flexible eligibility – Statement of Intent version 2 (superseded 22 June 2022)

ECO – flexible eligibility – Statement of Intent version 1 (superseded 7 June 2018)

The Great British Insulation Scheme extends support to a wider range of households who live in the least energy efficient homes EPC D and below (to check your EPC please visit Find an energy certificate - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and in Council Tax bands A-D (to check your Council Tax band please visit Check your Council Tax band - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)). This scheme is for insulation measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation. The cost may be covered in full, however a financial contribution may be required from the resident depending on the measure and any property issues.

For further information please contact us Online: Contact the Environmental Promotions Team or call 01322 343056.

Winter Warmth Grant:

This grant is intended to reduce the number of cold homes occupied by older people with long term health conditions. It can be used to pay for heating (normally replacement boilers) where the applicant fulfils specific criteria including having a long term illness. The maximum grant is £2,500. Confirmation is required from a health professional that the applicant has a long term health condition.

Renewable Heat Incentive

The Domestic RHI is now closed to new applicants (01 April 2022), and is being replaced by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS).

If you are already accredited for Domestic RHI, the support for accredited installations will not be affected by this closure, providing you continue to meet all your ongoing obligations under the scheme rules. The Duration of your RHI payments will remain the same and will be in line with your date of accreditation.

You can find out more about your ongoing obligations in Chapter 3 of the Domestic RHI: Essential Guide.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

From the 01 April 2022 the boiler upgrade Scheme (BUS) will launch.

BUS is a government funded scheme that will provide grants to encourage property owners to install low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps. These grants will help overcome the upfront cost of low carbon heating technologies.

Current grants are available for:

£7,500 towards an air source heat pump
£7,500 towards a ground source heat pump (including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops)
£5,000 towards a biomass boiler

The Schemeis open to domestic and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales. It will run from 2022 to 2025.

Please visit the website for more information about the scheme.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme Voucher Application Form is available on Ofgem’s website at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/boiler-upgrade-scheme-voucher-application-form

Winter Fuel Payments:

Government Funded: If you were born on or before the 25 September 1958 you could get between £100 and £300 to help you pay your heating bills for Winter 2024 to 2025. This is known as the Winter Fuel Payment.

To be eligible you must also live in England or Wales and be in receipt of one of the following benefits:

Pension Credit
Universal Credit
Income Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income Support

If you are eligible you will normally get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically and you will receive a letter in October or November 2024 saying how much you will get.

Warm Home Discount Scheme:

The Scheme will reopen again in October 2024

Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one off discount of £150 on your electricity bill (usually between October and March). You should automatically qualify if on 13 August 2024 you were getting the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, your electricity supplier is part of the scheme and your name (or partner’s) was on the bill. You should receive a letter, if not contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme Helpline on 0800 030 9322.

You may also qualify if you’re on a low income/get certain means tested benefits – check with your supplier to see if you’re eligible.

You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity. Contact your supplier to find out.

The discount won’t affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.

Cold Weather Payments:

You may get a Cold Weather Payment if you’re getting certain benefits. If you are eligible, you will receive these payments automatically. Payments are made when your local temperature is either recorded as, or forecast to be, an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.

You’ll get a payment of £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. Payments will be paid within 14 working days into the same bank/ building society as your benefit payments.

Priority Services Register:

The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free service provided by suppliers and network operators (UK Power Networks, SGN) to customers in need (each supplier and network maintain their own register). The PSR is available to residents who are of pensionable age, disabled or chronically sick, have a long-term medical condition, have a hearing or visual impairment or additional communication needs, are in a vulnerable situation. To be added to the Priority Services Register contact your energy supplier/ network provider.

Cold Weather Priority Initiative:

The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) is launching a Cold Weather Priority (CWP) Initiative for the off-grid sector this October. This initiative has been developed to identify those most at risk, and ensure delivery to these customers can be prioritised during periods of extreme cold, or fuel shortages. Check if your local supplier is involved visit https://ukifda.org/cold-weather-priority-initiative or contact your nearest distributor – https://ukifda.org/find-a-distributor.

Water Hardship Fund

A new fund to help vulnerable customers who may be struggling financially or need additional help in some way, such as with repairs in the home or white goods.

Up to 50% one year bill reduction for customers who have hit temporary hard times.
Debt write-off of up to £2,000 for customers who have managed to get back on track with payments but will never be able to repay their debt.
Grant of up to £1,000 to make improvements to a customer’s home (this might be the purchase of white goods that a customer cannot afford to replace, repairs to heating or water systems that they cannot afford, etc.)

For further details contact your local water supplier for your area.

Support with energy cost arrears:

Some utility companies offer help to customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills. See if your energy provider can offer you some help:

For further information please contact us Online: Contact the Environmental Promotions Team or call 01322 343056.

May 2022 Cold Calling Information:

The Council is aware that residents are being 'cold called' by energy efficiency measure companies claiming to have had their contact details passed on by Dartford Borough Council. The Council does not share personal data in an unexpected or potentially intrusive way, or in a way that is incompatible with its purposes, which are clearly set out in its Privacy Notices.