Energy grants and advice >

Through our Warmer Homes scheme we are supporting Government-funded programmes to provide energy efficiency upgrades to eligible homes in Northumberland through our Warmer Homes scheme.

The scheme offers free grants for eligible homeowners and to tenants who privately rent to make energy-saving improvements to their homes. Improvements could include:

Wall insulation (cavity, internal or external)
Floor insulation

Loft insulation
Low carbon heat systems, such as air source heat pumps  
Solar panels
Heating controls

It is funded by National Government under their sustainable warmth strategy and includes funding from Home Upgrade Scheme Phase 2 (HUG2).

Is Warmer Homes for me?

You must be eligible across three categories to be eligible for the scheme:

1. Your Location:

You must live in Northumberland
If you live in certain areas of Northumberland and you live off the mains gas grid you may also be eligible from April 2023. We will attempt to contact these homes directly by letter. Please see the list eligible areas here as defined by the Government.

You do not have to meet the Household category below if you are eligible in this list. You do have to meet the EPC rating requirements.

2. Your Home:

You house must have an EPC rating of D, E, F or G - Check your home's EPC here

NOTE: If you do not have a valid EPC, we can provide this assessment to owner occupiers as a part of the scheme. Landlords are legally obliged to have a valid EPC on most privately rented homes. EPCs are not required for mobile (park) homes.

3. Your Household:

You must fall into one of the following categories:

Live in Northumberland and
Own or live in a home with an energy rating of D, E, F, or G and
Have savings or capital, including second homes of less than £50,000
A: Someone living permanently in your home receives a means-tested benefit such as Universal Credit, Income based ESA, income support or tax credits or
B: Have a total annual gross (including tax) household income of below £36,000 for one or two person households. (Households with a larger occupancy the Government’s equivalisation factor can be applied, increasing the threshold for household income by £4,000 per person up to £44,000. (If you are a household size of three persons the income is £40,000 and for four or more £44,000). Personal Independence payments (PIP) and Attendance Allowance is disregarded but all other benefit income and all household members income are considered unless you qualify by another route listed or
C: Your annual gross (include tax) household income after deducting mortgage payments is below £20,000 or
D: If your postcode falls in one of the automatically eligible areas as defined by the Government then you will qualify regardless or income or savings and a means-test is not required. Please check if your postcode falls in one of the automatically eligible areas as defined by the Government.

Still not sure? Email us at warmerhomes@northumberland.gov.uk or contact Customer Services on 0345 600 6400.

Yes, I think I am eligible >

Before applying here is some important information you should familiarise yourself with:

Application:

You will need to provide evidence of income on application. See here for a list of accepted evidence of income.

Agreement for Homeowner:

You will need to agree to this document before works go ahead on your property: agreement for homeowners

This agreement may be signed with your application, during eligibility checks or via the assessors/installers. Please make sure to read this very carefully.   

Roles and Responsibilities:

There are many groups involved in the Warmer Homes project. They each have their own role to play and responsibilities to adhere to.

You will also find a list of companies working as partners for NCC Warmer Homes project. Who they are and what is expected from them can be found in this roles and responsibilities document. 

Essential Privacy Notices:

These notices set out how your personal information will be handled.

BEIS Privacy Notice
Northumberland County Council Warmer Homes Privacy Notice 

Your Safety:

We have been made aware of companies cold calling residents and offering low carbon measures as a part of various schemes - some of these companies are requesting bank details amongst other information.

The warmer homes scheme is accessed only by completing the application form online or by emailing: warmerhomes@northumberland.gov.uk

Applications and eligibility checks will be dealt with by Northumberland County Council only. Once eligibility is confirmed, your application will be passed to our Retrofit Co-Ordination providers who are either part of our in-house team or a company called Greener Solutions.

You should not provide personal information to any company other than the Northumberland County Council retrofit team nor will we ever ask you for any money.

If you are unsure, please contact us for assurance giving us the name of the person and company who has asked you for more details so we can verify they are working on our behalf.

No I’m not eligible, what other support is there?

If you are not eligible for the Warmer Homes scheme there are still things that you can do are home to reduce heat loss and save money.

Bespoke plans

Input your postcode, budget, and priorities into our plan builder tool which can create a tailored refurbishment plan to help you improve your home's energy efficiency.

Other schemes
You might be eligible for other energy saving schemes:
Check if your home qualifies for Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding. 

Tips

Click here for energy saving tips.

Immediate help

If you, or someone you know needs immediate energy advice or assistance please contact  Northumberland Communities Together.

Retrofit Advisors

If you are considering making energy efficiency upgrades to your property then contact one of our retrofit advisors to see how we can help support you in making your home warmer and saving money on your bills.

Contact

Email: warmerhomes@northumberland.gov.uk

Customer Services: 0345 600 6400

How to apply >

It only takes a few minutes and is completely obligation free. To speed up your application, please email income evidence either with or immediately after you have made your application to warmerhomes@northumberland.gov.uk

If you do not have access to the internet, please contact customer services or email us so we can assist you with an online application.

Email: warmerhomes@northumberland.gov.uk

Contact Customer Services on 0345 600 6400

Privately rented tenants should make the application but we will require consent from the landlord for the works to go ahead.

What happens next?

Due to high demand, there may be a delay of several weeks before we can respond to you.  If you do not receive an email confirming receipt of the application with a reference number OR have not had any contact within a month please email us to confirm we have received your application.

You may receive a screening call from the Warmer Homes team to confirm your eligibility. They will ask you questions about your income and household. You will be required to provide evidence of household income by email: warmerhomes@northumberland.gov.uk or post if you have not already attached it with the online application. Personal information required for evidence should only be sent by email to the warmer homes email or to a member of staff whose email ends with @northumberland.gov.uk.

 A certified retrofit assessor will visit your property, and a whole house energy efficiency plan will be created to make your home more energy efficient. The installer will also need to carry out a technical survey.

Gas Safe Fund

Gas Safe Charity provides a hardship fund to identify and provide practical gas safety interventions, such as the replacement, repair and servicing of dangerous, faulty or inefficient gas appliances and installations that put the safety of vulnerable people at risk in their own homes. FILT provides the mechanisms to distribute small and mediumsized local and regional hardship grants, manage the spend levels and monitor performance. Grants of up to a maximum value of £500 per intervention and only one intervention per household per year.

What is included?

An intervention may include more than one measure. These measures can include:

Gas Safety Checks
Gas Servicing
Gas Boiler Repairs
Gas Boiler Replacements
Gas Boiler Combustion Analysis
Gas Cookers
Gas Fires
Gas Pipework
Gas Meters
Gas Water Heaters

Who can use this service?

All applicants must live in privately owned accommodation and be one of the following:

60 years old or over and have low household income and/or a disability
Under 60 and have a low household income and/or a disability or
Considered exceptionally vulnerable by the HIA (This is reviewed on a case by case basis)

How to apply

To apply please complete this form and email it to warmerhomes@northumberland.gov.uk

Be aware of scams

You should not provide personal information to any company that calls you or knocks at your door. Northumberland County Council and delivery partners will never ask you for any money. If you are unsure, please check the list of approved delivery partners.

The council council’s public protection team is asking residents to follow the advice below and keep one step ahead of scammers.

Accept there is a scam for everything and everyone. Scammers can be very friendly and convincing and can contact you at the door, by phone, post or online.
NEVER EVER provide bank details or share your pin number or personal details by email or over the phone unless you are certain who you are giving them to.
Never click on a link from an unknown email source as this can give the scammers access to your computer and personal details.
If you receive a call or message claiming your account has been hacked, a fraudulent transaction has occurred or a loan has been approved, it’s most likely a scam. Only contact your bank using the number you know is correct.
Never be rushed into making a quick decision on deals or offers. Insist on time to get independent advice. Ask for the caller's details then check their credentials e.g. through Trustpilot.
Always log on to a website directly rather than clicking on links in an email or Facebook.
Trust your instincts. If you’re reading or listening to a message and something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut and hang up or delete it.