North Northamptonshire Council
Northamptonshire Energy Saving Service (N.E.S.S.) offers a full benefit check and independent advice on claiming additional income. It provides:
- advice on managing your energy bills
- help to check your energy bill tariffs
- energy efficiency advice
- free energy saving devices
- advice on financial entitlements including grants and regular income
Energy, heating and light – Adult social services (northamptonshire.gov.uk)
Disabled facilities grants, HomeMove grants and renovation grants could help disabled residents in their properties or help renovate properties to a higher standard. Please contact North Northamptonshire Council to apply or request further information on the grants available.
https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/housing/housing-grants
Energy Suppliers
Warm Homes Fund has been established by National Grid to support local authorities to address some of the issues affecting fuel poor households.
Your energy supplier can help if you are having difficulties with your gas and electric bills. You can get other grants and benefits too. Your options will depend on your situation.
Contact your supplier as soon as you can if you are worried about paying your energy bills. Suppliers must work with you to agree on a payment plan you can afford under Ofgem rules. This includes reviewing a plan you have agreed before.
You can ask for:
- a review of your payments and debt repayments
- payment breaks or reductions
- more time to pay
- access to hardship funds
- Priority Service registration – a free support service if you are in a vulnerable situation: Getting extra help with the Priority Services Register | Ofgem
Home energy grants
You can check relevant local grants that you might be eligible for.
Home energy grants — Simple Energy Advice
Winter Fuel Payment
The Winter Fuel Payment is a payment of between £100 and £300 to help towards your winter heating bills. If you were born on or before 26 September 1955 and you get the State Pension or another social security benefit, then you may be eligible. You usually get a payment automatically if you’re eligible. If you are eligible but do not get paid automatically, you will need to make a claim.
Winter Fuel Payment — Simple Energy Advice
Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount is a one off discount of £140 off your winter electricity bill between September and March. You may be eligible if you claim the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or are on a low income. You will need to contact your supplier to find out more.
Warm Home Discount — Simple Energy Advice
Cold Weather Payment
You could receive a payment of £25 if the average temperature in your area drops below zero for seven days in a row. You may be eligible if you claim certain means-tested benefits.
Cold Weather Payment — Simple Energy Advice
Energy Company Obligation
ECO is the main scheme for supporting energy efficiency improvements including insulation and some heating improvements in low income and vulnerable households. You may qualify for ECO if you claim certain benefits and meet other requirements. Improvements include cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. It may also be possible to get help with replacing an inefficient boiler or other heating system.
Energy Company Obligation — Simple Energy Advice
Stockburn Memorial Trust Fund
The Stockburn Memorial Trust Fund is a charity for people residing in the Borough of Kettering who are both sick and poor. Persons are visited at home by a Trustee when an application form is completed. Applications may be made to:
01536 412511
Fuel grants – local schemes
Kettering Charities is run by the Town Council. It offers a one off payment to residents of Kettering town and Barton Seagrave to help with fuel costs. Payments are made in December of each year. Applications are invited from widows, widowers or single persons who are over the statutory retirement age who live alone.
Please contact the Clerk to the Charity Trustees, on 01536 697490 or by emailing clerk@ketteringtowncouncil.gov.uk for an application form.
Renewable Heat Incentive
The RHI is a government scheme to support renewable heating systems like heat pumps. If you install a system that meets all the scheme requirements, you can be paid for every unit of renewable heat you produce for a number of years.
Renewable Heat Incentive — Simple Energy Advice
https://www.gov.uk/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive
Two schemes:
Domestic
To join the Domestic RHI, the property your renewable heating system is in must be capable of getting a domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (Domestic RHI) | Ofgem
https://www.gov.uk/find-an-energy-assessor
Non-Domestic
Businesses, public sector and non-profit organisations can apply if equipment was installed in England after 15 July 2009.
Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) | Ofgem
Green Deal: energy saving for your home
If you need help paying for home improvements, you may be able to get a loan through the Green Deal, but you’ll have to pay this back.
https://www.gov.uk/green-deal-energy-saving-measures
Affordable Warmth Obligation
You might be able to get help for energy-saving improvements to your home if you either:
- claim certain benefits and live in private housing (for example you own your home or rent from a private landlord)
- live in social housing
https://www.gov.uk/energy-company-obligation
Home Improvements for Tenants
If you rent from a private landlord, you may think there’s not much you can do to your home to save energy. But it may be possible to get some of the improvements you want even though you don’t own the building. There are some things that a landlord has to do when they rent out a property.
Home Improvements For Tenants — Simple Energy Advice
Making improvements yourself
If you can get funding or can pay for improvements yourself, then your landlord will usually be happy for these to go ahead. They may also be willing to chip in. If you can find funding to cover the full cost of the work, then your landlord must give their permission for most common energy improvements, unless they have a good reason.
Minimum Energy Standards
A landlord can’t rent out a property with a rating of F or G, unless they have a good reason. This rule applies every time they sign a new tenancy. The landlord will need to make energy improvements to your home to bring it up to an E rating or better by then, unless they can claim a valid reason not to. If your home has an EPC rating of F or G and your tenancy began before April 2018, your landlord will need to take steps to improve it to a minimum of E.
Complaining to the Council
A landlord has to make sure that the homes they rent out are safe to live in. If you think your home is too cold or damp to be safe, speak to your landlord about the problem. If they don’t sort it out you can ask your Local Authority’s private sector housing department to step in.
https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/housing/advice-private-sector-tenants
Heat Pumps
The government has announced £5,000 heat pump grants to help you switch from your existing gas boiler. Grants will be available from April 2022. Air source heat pumps look like air conditioning units on the outside of buildings. They use a refrigeration cycle to transfer the heat to radiators, underfloor heating and the hot water cylinder. There are also heat pumps that draw energy from the ground or water.
Heat pumps, which are powered by electricity, produce around three times the energy they use. This makes them much more efficient than a gas boiler.
Smart Export Guarantee
Large energy suppliers have to provide a SEG tariff to anyone who is eligible.
You may be able to get a SEG tariff if you have:
- Solar PV – solar panels that generate electricity
- Wind turbines – household-scale or rooftop
- Micro CHP (with an electrical capacity of 50kW or less)