Warm Homes Local Grant - FAQs
What is the Warm Homes Local Grant?
The Warm Homes Local Grant is Government funding that helps make homes warmer and lower heating and electricity bills. It is aimed at owner occupied and private rented homes specifically for and residents on low-incomes, with a focus on improving the most poorly insulated properties.
Who are the organisations working on this scheme with Warwick District Council, and what does each one do?
- Act on Energy – Will be providing the Customer Journey Support. They will be handling your applications, confirming your eligibility for grant funding and assisting with customer engagement.
- Energy Efficiency Consultants (EEC) – Are Independent Retrofit Assessors. Once your application is approved EEC will be completing a whole house retrofit assessment. This information will highlight what energy efficiency improvements would be possible at your home.
- Broad Oak Group – Will be conducting Technical Surveys, Quotes and installations of any energy efficiency measures, they will be your main point of contact once the work starts and afterwards for any issues or questions relating to the work undertaken.
What might I be able to have for my home?
Subject to surveys and costs, your property may be able to benefit from one or more of the measure listed below. The list of potential measures are as follows:
- Ventilation
- External /Internal wall insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
- Loft insulation
- Flat roof insulation
- Solar panels
- Solar battery storage
- Double glazing - only single glazed windows can be replaced
- Secondary glazing in suitable properties
- Air source heat pumps
- High heat retention storage heaters
Who is eligible to apply for the Warm Homes Local Grant?
Owner occupiers and private tenants with their landlords permission may be eligible for the Warm Homes Local Grant if they meet all of the below criteria:
- Own and live in your home, or rent it privately as a tenant, within Warwick District; and
- Have a gross household income of £36,000 or less per year OR live in an eligible postcode area OR are on means tested benefits and
- Live in a home that has an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of D, E, F or G; if you don’t know your home’s EPC rating, we will complete one as part of this scheme.
Landlords will need to approve and complete a separate application form with a deposit to be re-paid on completion of any work completed and also ensure the tenant is happy for the work to go ahead.
What evidence will I need to provide to support my application?
Home ownership: You will need to provide proof you own your property in the form of a mortgage statement or title deeds. You can do this by photographing/scanning the documents and sending them through to us with your completed application forms.
Income eligibility: If you do not qualify for income exemption you will need to provide income information for each adult in the property including benefits they may receive. Details of evidence are listed within the application form and can include:
- Bank Statements
- P60
- Wage slips
- DWP pension information
- Private pensions letters
- DWP benefits letters
- Child benefit information
How do I know the work to my property will go well?
Warwick District Council have appointed Act on Energy and Broad Oak to administer the customer journey service on their behalf for this grant funding.
Act on Energy will assess your application, review your supporting evidence, confirm you meet the eligibility criteria and will pass your details on to Warwick District Council’s appointed contractor, Broad Oak.
After Act on Energy pass your application through to Broad Oak, they will keep you informed about the next stage which will be the energy assessment survey. However, you can always contact Act on Energy or Warwick District Council at any time.
Broad Oak Group are a locally based contractor and both they and their sub-contractors are registered with TrustMark, the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme, for works in and around your home.
TrustMark Registered Businesses are thoroughly vetted and monitored to ensure they meet standards in technical competence, customer service and trading practices. If anything should go wrong, TrustMark has that covered as through a simple disputes resolution process in place. Details can be found on the TrustMark website or call TrustMark on 0333 555 1234.
Can I nominate someone to speak on my behalf?
Yes. You can nominate someone to speak with us on your behalf. This may be a family member, friend, carer, or if you are a private tenant you may wish for us to speak with your landlord. If you prefer to do this, we will need your permission and the contact details of your nominated person.
Would I be expected to pay towards the Warm Homes Local Grant?
The Warm Homes Local Grant will not expect owner occupiers to contribute towards any suggested work, as it is fully funded subject to availability. Private rented sector landlords may receive one home fully funded per landlord under Warm Homes Local Grant. A 50% cost contribution will be required from the private landlord for any additional homes upgraded after the first.
Tenants are not required or expected to make any contributions to the cost of upgrades. If you are a landlord applying for a grant, please ensure you have discussed this with your tenant(s) as several visits to the property will be required and the tenants must provide evidence that they meet the eligibility criteria.
If I qualify, what happens next?
Once your application has been approved, Act on Energy will contact you to confirm this and to progress to the next stage. You will then be contacted by Broad Oak to make an appointment for the home assessment.
A qualified Retrofit Assessor from the organisation EEC, will carry out the assessment to look at the condition of the property and suitability of measures.
The assessment can take up to 2 hours depending on the size of your property and the Retrofit Assessor will require access to all rooms to complete a thorough survey, including any loft space.
If the property does not have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), then one may be created following the energy assessment visit. If an EPC is already present and if improvements have been made to the property since its last certification, then this will be updated.
In some cases, this can mean that the new certification is rated higher and in some rare instances it can mean that we are unable to proceed with an application, due to the new EPC rating being A, B or C. The requirement for this funding is an EPC rating of D, E, F or G.
Following the property assessment, you will be contacted to discuss the options available to you. All works under must comply with a “fabric first” approach which means insulation must be installed before any other energy efficiency measures, so it may be necessary to install one measure before another measure such as solar panels.
You are under no obligation to proceed with any works following the assessment and no installations would take place without your consent.
*Please also note, that funding will be allocated on a first come first served basis and a completed assessment does not guarantee that work will go ahead. If our allocation for the current scheme has been met, we will keep your assessment on file and aim to incorporate works on the next available scheme.
What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
An EPC is a report that assesses a property’s energy efficiency performance from grade A (most efficient) to grade G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years. You can view your EPC for free online. If your property does not have an EPC and you meet the rest of the criteria, it might be possible for one to be arranged free of charge to you. However, this is dependent on funding availability.
What does ‘retrofit’ mean?
The term ‘retrofit’ is used to describe improvement works and the installation of renewable or low carbon technologies, also referred to as measures or ‘work’, to help reduce fuel bills and create a more comfortable and healthier environment.
What happens after the home energy assessment?
The following are the stages after the grant application:
- Energy assessment - this will look at the condition of the property and suitability of measures. An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) will also be conducted if required. This will be completed by EEC.
- Technical survey / design work – The technical survey / design work will help confirm which energy measures will be suitable. This will be completed by EEC.
- Installation work – Once the improvement measures are then agreed, these will then be installed in your home with a handover pack provided. This work will be completed by Broad Oak.
- Follow-up “post EPC” visit - The “post EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)” must be completed to confirm the new and improved energy efficiency rating of your property. This will be completed by EEC.
- Quality inspection – An independent assessment will be completed to ensure the installation work meets required high standards. This will be completed by EEC.
Why do I need ventilation?
Ventilation is essential in the home. With improved home insulation, moisture and pollutants are less able to escape and fresh air is less able to enter our homes. This increases the risk of condensation, damp and mould. The Energy Assessment will identify if the ventilation you have is adequate or not and will make a ventilation recommendation if necessary.
If extra ventilation is required, this must be carried out before any other energy efficiency measures are installed and this will be fully funded as part of the overall measures offered. For more information on ventilation, please see Act on Energy's Ventilation Advice Leaflet.
Can I choose which measures I want to receive?
Following an initial property assessment, you will be contacted to discuss the options available to you. All works under must comply with a “fabric first” approach which means insulation must be installed before any other energy efficiency measures, so it may be necessary to install one measure before another measure such as solar panels.
You are under no obligation to proceed with any works following the assessment and no installations would take place without your consent.
Will scaffolding need to be erected at my property?
It will be necessary to erect temporary scaffolding for the installation of solar panels, windows and external wall insulation. This is likely to be installed a week or so before the installation by a separate team or sub-contractor and will be removed shortly afterwards. Timeframes for this may vary depending on contractors availability.
Will you need access to my loft?
Yes. We will require access to your loft space at the assessment stage and potentially the installation stage. We require access at the assessment stage to establish whether you have any existing loft insulation and whether you require any more.
You will be advised prior to any work whether the contractors will need access to your loft space and you may be required to remove items stored in the loft. Please also note that if your loft is boarded, these boards will be removed and not replaced. Loft insulation is only as affective as the level it is compressed down to, meaning it cannot be squashed down by boards or storage.
How long will the work take on my house?
The duration of installation works will depend on the measures or combination of measures being installed. For example, loft insulation can generally be fitted within a day, whereas external wall insulation could take 2 weeks or longer depending on weather conditions.
What level of re-decoration will be carried out?
In some instances where measures are installed within your property there will be a requirement to drill through the walls, (Heating installations, Ventilation and Internal Wall Insulation for example) in each instance, the installers will repair these areas but it will be your responsibility to decorate if it is required.
Will I have to move out whilst the work is taking place?
No, you will not need to move out of your property. We will endeavour to keep any disruption to a minimum while the installation work is being carried out. Most of the work will be carried out externally where possible. If internal access is required, your carpets and flooring will be covered by the contractor before any work is carried out, to leave your property in the same condition prior to the installation.
How many home visits will be required?
The process will require at least 4 to 5 home visits, however this can be more depending the property and the combination of measures. Please see Question 13 more information on why these are required.
How long will the process take?
Due to the nature and complexity of the funding criteria and volume of assessments we receive, the process from application to installation could take anytime from 4 to 12 months. Therefore, we suggest carefully consider how long you may be staying in your property including whether you are looking to extend or move home, within this time period.
Will I receive any warranties for works completed?
Yes. All installation works will come with appropriate warranties, guarantees and a Trustmark certification for each measure installed. You should receive this after the installation as part of a handover pack provided by Broad Oak, and this may take several weeks after the installation.
What savings might I see on my bill?
The savings will vary depending on the measure and number of measures being installed. For example, the Energy Saving Trust has estimated that by adding loft insulation to a typical 3-bedroom semi-detached house could save around £230 on your energy bill each year, whilst solar panels could save you between £210 and £514 each year.
Please see below some estimated savings from 2023, showing what households could benefit from with each of energy efficiency measure per annum.
| Measure | Annual saving |
|---|---|
| Solar PV - at home all day | £470 |
| Solar PV - at home morning only | £420 |
| Solar PV - at home afternoon only | £400 |
| Solar PV - out all day | £320 |
| Loft insulation - increased from 120mm to 270mm | £20 |
| Loft insulation - increased from nothing to 270mm | £230 |
| Room in roof insulation | £210 |
| Air source heat pump | £100 |
| Cavity wall insulation | £240 |
| External or internal wall insulation | £320 |
| Upgrade to high heat retention storage heaters | £550 |
| Hot water cylinder jacket - nothing to 80mm jacket | £180 |
| Hot water cylinder jacket - 25mm to 80mm jacket | £40 |
| Windows - replace single glazing with A++ windows | £150 |
Have a question that isn’t listed here? Do you need to contact someone regarding your application?
If you have a query regarding the application stage, then please contact Act on Energy on 0800 988 2881 or email grants@actonenergy.org.uk . They will be able to help you with numerous areas like help completing your application forms, providing the right supporting evidence and help with other areas like how you could save money on your energy bills.
If you have a query about your application following the application stage, your first port of call would be to contact the contactors directly if your query is regarding the assessments or installation. However if you have tried to contact the contractors and haven’t been able to get in touch with them, then please contact Act on Energy where in most cases they are able to chase the contractors.
Please note that they do not manage the contactors, but they can help you reach them and get queries answered.
Act on Energy – For questions relating to the application stage:
- 0800 988 2881
- grants@actonenergy.org.uk
Energy Efficiency Consultants (EEC) – For questions relating to the assessments stage:
- 02476 970 633
- info@eec.org.uk
Broad Oak Group – For questions relating to the installation stage:
- 01782 550 371
- hello@broadoakgroup.com