An online form to help residents identify if they qualify for home energy efficiency grants is being promoted by East Cambridgeshire District Council to help mark Energy Saving Week (17 January to 23 January).

The form, which takes 10 minutes to complete, helps the council’s energy advisers to better understand an individual’s circumstances, such as the type of home they live in and whether they are receiving benefits.

These details can then be used to help signpost residents – particularly those on low incomes living in poorly insulated homes - to the best help available to reduce energy use and costs. To check if you may be eligible for one of these funding schemes, please visit the Action on Energy funding page (external link).

Over a period of two years the council aims to spend up to £2m investing in energy efficiency measures for non-gas homes in East Cambridgeshire, as part of a wider £10m government grant scheme called the Home Upgrade Grant 2 (HUG 2) secured by the Action on Energy partnership.

Action on Energy also provides wider support to help residents with resources, guidance, and advice on home energy efficiency and retrofit. This can be found on the new Action on Energy Cambs website (external link). 

Lisa Eves from the Home Energy Team said: “Energy prices have increased again from 1 January.

“Typically, an annual energy bill for a dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit is now around £1,928. That’s an increase of around £94 a year, based on the current price cap unit rates.

“We know for many of our residents, paying energy bills is challenging and we want to do all we can to help people increase the energy efficiency of their homes.

“As well as providing general help and advice, we are particularly keen to target hundreds of residents across the district we think are eligible for Government funding.

“Accessing the Home Upgrade Grant 2 (HUG) funding – which can be spent on energy efficiency measures for the home – could help them save hundreds if not thousands of pounds.”

Complete the grant funding application form on the Action on Energy Cambridgeshire website (external link) 

Or, for more information contact the Home Energy Team on 01353 665555 to discuss further or to check if your property has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). You can also find your EPC if you have one on the Government’s website (external link).

The cost of living pages on the council’s website contain general information and advice on how to save energy.

Weekly Energy Drop sessions are also available free of charge to members of the public every Tuesday at the council’s offices in Ely. Simply drop in between 10am and 1pm or call 01353 665555 to pre-book an appointment.

Tips for saving energy in the home

• Turn down your thermostat by just 1°C to save £100 a year
• Shorten showers to 4 minutes to save £70 a year
• Turn appliances off standby mode to save £50 a year
• Use reflective radiator panels to save £25 a year
• Be aware which devices in your home use most energy (external link) according to the charity National Energy Action.

Tips for heating your home

• Use the HACKS energy saving calculator (external link)  to review the current energy set up in your home and find solutions to make your home more energy efficient.
• Visit the Energy Savings Trust’s myths about solar page (external link) to read up more about solar panels
• Find out more about retrofitting your home on the TrustMark’s website (external link). 
• Ofgem (external link) has lots of information about environmental and social schemes, such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Smart Export Guarantee, on their website.
• Switching to a green tariff is better for the environment. Find out more on the Energy Savings Trust website (external link)