Help at hand for South London households seeking ‘Warmer Homes’ grant
Local energy advice experts South East London Community Energy (Selce) are offering free help to residents seeking grants of up to £25,000 to combat rising bills.
The grants are being offered to low-income homeowners and private tenants living in poorly-insulated properties under the Mayor of London’s Warmer Homes programme, but the organisation has warned applications will need to be submitted by mid-January to have any chance of getting the measures installed by the end-of-March deadline.
The cash is for double-glazing, draught-proofing and insulation for walls, lofts and floors. Households with an income of less than £20,000 or qualifying benefits can apply.
The ‘retrofit’ measures on offer will enable cold, draughty homes to reduce the amount of time needed for central heating. The programme includes the installation of sources of energy such as solar panels and heat-pumps.
Homes with electricity-based heating are expected to benefit most from the scheme, as the cost of electric heating can be up to four times as much as the cost of central heating with a gas boiler.
The Warmer Homes programme is on a first-come, first-served basis and qualifying residents are being encourage to apply immediately. Low-income households living in social housing will benefit from a separate retrofit scheme.
Free help with grant applications is being provided by Selce. Applicants will need to provide supporting paperwork and agree to an energy review of their home.
Katherin Garcia Rincon, of Selce, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for low-income households in private sector housing to give their homes a major energy-efficiency upgrade. But they need to act quickly to secure the funding and we’re here to help as much as we can.”
Applications can be made directly at www.warmerhomes.london. Help with completing an application can be provided by Selce on: 0204 566-5764 or energy.advice@selce.org.uk.
Pictured top: Selce’s co-founder, Giovanna Speciale, giving energy advice to local residents (Picture: Selce)