Energy Efficiency - Domestic

You can save £££s and make your home more comfortable by making your home more energy efficient, adding extra insulation, better heating, or buying energy saving appliances will all help reduce the amount of fuel you use in your home. This will save you money, and help the environment. When we use energy, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, using less energy means less carbon dioxide is released. Carbon dioxide is one of the main gases thought to be contributing to climate change.

Around one quarter of the carbon dioxide emissions in the UK come from energy used in our homes. The Borough promotes a number of schemes to help you become more energy efficient and reduce, including:

• Free home visits by our Energy Awareness Officer, who can come and perform an energy survey of the property and advise on improvement measures that could be taken. To access this service email csc@RBWM.gov.uk or call 01628 683820 and ask to speak to the Energy Awareness Officer
  
• Discount insulation schemes (see below)
  
• Energy monitor loans from your local library
  
• Flexible Home Improvement Loans (see below)
  
• Advice on different types of renewable energy (external)
  
• A Government grant called Warmfront (external) for heating and insulation measures
  
• A free self completion home energy survey (external) for your property to advise you on ways to make savings. Please note this survey is not the same as the one required when you sell your home. For more information on the requirements for Home Information Packs (external) visit their website
  
• Visit Consumer Focus (external) for unbiased advice on comparing and/or changing your gas and electricity supplier
  
• Get £400 discount for replacing a 'G' rated boiler with the Governments Boiler Scrappage scheme (external)

Discount schemes for cavity wall and loft insulation:

It makes sense to keep the heat that you have paid for inside your home, and insulation is one of the most cost effective measures you can do to reduce your bills. Your walls lose up to 35% of the heat in your home and the loft loses up to 25%. If your home was built after the mid 1930s you probably have cavity walls. See Government Grants for Home Insulation down below.

The Borough is working with Crest Surveying (external) to offer discounted loft and cavity wall insualtion. Please call freephone on 0800 567 7474 for the latest prices. If you are over 70 or on certain benefits then you may be entitled to get the work carried out free of charge.

All of the main energy suppliers have discount insulation schemes, the prices vary so by calling this number you will get the best deal available. They will refer you for a free no obligation home survey, if you are happy with the quote they will give you an approximate date for install. If you receive certain benefits or are over 70, you may get the insulation free of charge. You will find the number on the back of a bill.

Grants:

The Government Warm Front scheme provides grants of up to £3,500 to improve the heating and insulation in your property if you are an owner occupier or a private rented tenant, and in receipt of certain specified income or disability related benefits. Grants of up to £6,000 may be available for homes that require oil heating. To find out more visit Warm Front (external) or call 0800 316 2814.

Flexible Home Improvement Loans:

The Royal Borough launched a Flexible Home Improvement Loan scheme in September 2008, aimed at helping householders aged 60 years or over to carry out improvements or repairs to make their homes safer, warmer, healthier, or more comfortable. Loan offers we have made to date have included funding to provide new boilers, complete central heating systems, wall and loft insulation, double glazing and even solar panels.

The scheme has proved to be very popular and we have received many favourable comments from borrowers and the families of borrowers.

Interest is charged at a low rate linked to Bank of England rate and we will be provide detailed quotations on request. Borrowers are able to make regular repayments, occasional repayments or no payments at all during the life of the mortgage. Furthermore, they are free to vary the arrangement at any time and, if they wish, pay off the loan without penalty. However, the loan plus any outstanding interest must be repaid if the property is sold, or if the owners cease to occupy it. As loans are repaid, the money will be recycled as further loans. Call 01628 683820 if you want more information.

If you do not receive benefits, but feel you cannot afford to make essential heating repairs call 01628 683820 and ask to speak to the Energy Awareness Officer who will be able to advise whether any alternative funding sources are available.

Energy Awareness Officer, Residential Services, York House, 41 Sheet Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1DD

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