Home energy experts will be out and about in Haddenham next week promoting a new grant to help lower income households improve energy efficiency, save money on heating bills and cut carbon.

It's estimated up to 500 households in the village, which have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D – G, may be eligible for the scheme.

Up to £10million funding has been secured from the government by Cambridgeshire councils as part of the Cambridgeshire Energy Retrofit Partnership.

The grant can be used to pay energy saving initiatives such as providing loft, cavity and solid wall insulation, clean energy and heating such as Solar PV or Air Source Heat Pumps.

Representatives from East Cambridgeshire District Council’s Home Energy Team will be knocking on doors alongside installers who are able to complete measures, as part of its ongoing work to help residents tackle the cost of living crisis and to help make their homes as energy efficient as possible.

Haddenham is the first of many locations they will be visiting over the coming months, however the Government funding is available for householders who live in non-gas heated owner-occupied properties or privately rented homes with an EPC rating of D – G.

Eligibility for householders living in these homes can include:

• Residents in receipt of means tested benefits
• Gross household income less than £34,500 per annum
• Residents who are badly affected by cold. This can be through illness/disability, age or pregnancy

Anyone whose household income exceeds £34,500 annually but is still struggling to pay their bills, or if the home is gas heated, will be asked additional questions to see if they qualify for any other available schemes.

Lisa Eves from the Home Energy Team said: “Increasing the energy efficiency of your home is important, both for you and the environment. As well as helping to lower energy bills and increasing your comfort, it can also play a part in protecting your health. This can be done in many ways such as changing your main heat source to one that is more eco-friendly to installing retrofit measures that increase the insulation of your home.

“While we often see most of the benefits in winter, such as keeping your home warm at a lower cost, in the summer months it is easier for a well-insulated house to stay at a comfortable temperature.”

For more information contact the Home Energy Team on 01353 665555 to discuss further or to check if your property has an EPC.

You can also complete an online enquiry form on the Action on Energy Cambridgeshire website.