West Suffolk Council has completed more than £1.5m of energy efficiency improvements to around 150 homes – and it aims to deliver improvements to another 150 by the end of March when current Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) funding is due to end. 

As well as helping residents stay warm and keep their heating costs as low as can be, this scheme also reduces carbon emissions and is part of our wider work to improve the environment and tackle climate change. 

Who is it for?

The scheme is subject to Government criteria. Households with low Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D to G and with a household income of less than £30,000 may qualify for the work which includes improved insulation.

Residents can check their EPC rating at www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificatewhere they can find information about improving the energy efficiency of their home. If their property doesn’t have an EPC, one will be carried out as part of the scheme.

This support is targeted at people who own their home or are paying a mortgage. Tenants in a private rented home can also qualify but their landlord would need to pay for part of the work. Housing association tenants should contact their landlord to see if they qualify for improvements.

Eligible residents can register to be considered at www.warmhomessuffolk.org

How is it being communicated?

We have already publicised about some of the residents who have benefitted from this work How we are helping residents so they can stay warm while using less heating this winter (westsuffolk.gov.uk) and https://youtu.be/h-fwlPg02wQ

We have also written to residents in areas that we have identified as being likely to qualify, although the response has been better in some places than in others. 

A county-wide awareness campaign has also been launched by Warm Homes Suffolk. Attached is a Warm Homes Suffolk leaflet for residents. Please share our social media posts where you can. We will also be issuing a press release.

We will continue to update our cost-of-living webpage at www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/cost-of-living– for helpful information and advice.