Energy advice

The Government offers a number of grants and schemes to help with:

• fuel bills
• ensuring your home is more energy efficient
• installing energy efficient measures including loft, wall and floor insulation

You can email the Green Homes Team at greenhomes@havering.gov.uk if you have any questions.

Sustainable Warmth

Across the UK, many households will have seen that the cost of gas and electricity has risen by approximately 50 per cent since April 2022 as the energy price cap, the limit on what energy suppliers can charge, has increased.

This shift has seen many feeling the pinch, but there are changes you can make to try and keep energy costs under control.

Energy-saving improvements could make your home more efficient, keeping a lid on rising energy prices.

Some households across the South East may even be eligible for a government grant to fund energy-efficiency works.

Sustainable Warmth is a Government grant scheme designed to fund energy-efficiency upgrades to residents who are most likely to be impacted by the high cost of rising bills.

These improvements will help residents to use less energy and spend less on their energy bills.

How it helps

• Energy saving tech and upgrades installed by approved installers
• Creating warmer, healthier homes
• Helping to cut carbon emissions 
• Funding available for homes on and off the gas grid

The energy-efficiency grants will cover a range of energy-saving home improvements designed to balance the needs of residents with carbon reduction and grant availability.

What energy saving improvements can I get for my home?

Energy and cost-saving upgrades that you may be able to get for your home

• Insulation and ventilation upgrades 
• An upgrade to a low carbon heating system (the new heating system cannot include a gas or oil boiler)
• Heating controls
• Solar PV (that generates free electricity)
• Energy Efficient lighting
• Grant available

Owner occupiers

For homes connected to the gas grid, the grant is up to £10,000.

For homes not connected to the gas grid, the grant is on a sliding scale, from £10,000 to £25,000.

The exact amount available is dependent on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of the home and the fuel source that heats the home currently (the EPC can be determined by the programme if it is unknown).

Privately rented properties

To qualify the tenant must meet the income eligibility and the landlord will need to contribute a minimum of one third towards the cost of the upgrades in addition to the grant provided.

For privately rented properties connected to the gas grid, the grant is up to £5000.

For privately rented properties not connected to the gas grid, the grant is on a sliding scale, from £10,000 to £16,666.

The exact amount available is dependent on the EPC of the home and the fuel source that heats the home currently.

If overall costs exceed the maximum grant available, additional investment by the landlord will be required.

Costs and the contributions expected from the landlord will be agreed prior to commencement of work.

Grant eligibility

To be eligible for Sustainable Warmth Funding the following criteria must be met.

1.

The household must be a private domestic dwelling in England with an EPC rating of E, F or G.

There is a 30 per cent cap on Band D properties, and with high interest in the scheme and a high proportion of D rated properties put forward already, you may be placed on a waiting list if your home is D rated.

If your property’s EPC is unknown, it can be determined by the programme.

2.

The household must have one of either:

• a household income of no more than £30,000 before tax or any other deductions
• an income where cost of living is below £20,000 eg after rent or mortgage costs
• a household number (eg number of dependents) which stretches income to a position where they would be in fuel poverty

The scheme is open to private tenants/landlords and homeowners, who can check their eligibility by calling 0808 196 8255 or through the Sustainable Warmth online application.

For further information, please contact greenhomes@havering.gov.uk

If you are on a low income you may be able to get £140 off your electricity bill for winter 2021 to 2022 under the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

The money is not paid to you - it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between October and March.

You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity. Contact your supplier to find out more.

Eligibility

There are 2 ways to qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme:

• you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit - known as the ‘core group’
• you’re on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme - known as the ‘broader group’

How you apply for the Warm Home Discount Scheme depends on how you qualify for the discount.

Visit the gov.uk website to see if you qualify.

SHINE is a London wide referral network, which offers a free energy advice service for Londoners.

They have a dedicated helpline and affordable warmth interventions to ensure households get the help and support they need to reduce utility bills and stay warm.

SHINE accepts referrals for any tenure of household i.e. owned or rented, but households need to have an income below £16,190 per year or have a family member in a SHINE target group (has a disability, long term health condition, child under 15 or an adult over 60).

SHINE offers: advice on saving energy and reducing bills grants available for heating and insulation support with energy and water debt water and electricity discounts inclusion in supplier vulnerable customer registers Energy Doctor home visits to install energy efficiency measures i.e. draught proofing doors and windows.

You can contact SHINE directly Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm on 0300 555 0195, or visit the SHINE website for more information.

Big London Energy Switch

Around 50 per cent of people have not switched energy suppliers in the last 3 years. This means they are usually on a 'Standard Variable Tariff' which is typically more expensive.

Collective energy switching uses the power of numbers to get a competitive offer. The London Borough of Havering is part of the Big London Energy Switch, the largest energy switching community.

The Big London Energy Switch groups residents from across the country to get the most competitive offer.

It’s quick, easy and free to sign up usually taking around five minutes to complete the online form.

Sign up to the Big London Energy Switch

The Big London Energy switch will then hold an auction where pre-vetted energy suppliers compete for your custom.

A personal offer will then be sent to you directly at which point you can choose to accept or decline the offer. If you accept the offer they will handle the whole switching process for you and within a few weeks you will switch to your new tariff.

However if you chose to decline the offer you will be given the option to stay in contact and be included in another auction later in the year.

A dedicated helpdesk is available to handle all your enquiries via their online contact form or over the phone, and they are also on social media - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Solar Together

Solar Together London is a collective purchasing approach to increase domestic rooftop solar in London, in support of the Mayor of London’s Solar Action Plan.

This form of collective purchasing aims to reduce costs, guarantee quality and take the hassle out of buying solar panels for Londoners.

Households and small businesses across London can register their interest in having high quality solar photovoltaic panels (PV) on their roofs to generate electricity.

There is also the opportunity to have electric vehicle charging points and battery storage – helping you capture energy when it’s being generated and use it later.

Registration is free and does not commit you to anything, but the more people that register, the better the deal for each household. 

Go to the Solar Together London website to register

How can you reduce your energy bills while helping with climate change?

• Radiator bleeding - As temperatures start to drop, don't forget to check that water is flowing through your radiators properly. When the heating is on, touch to check the heat of the top and bottom of your radiator. If the top is cool and the bottom is warm, you may need to bleed your radiator.  You can find out how to do this on google.
• Christmas lights – No Christmas tree is complete without all the decorations and lights, but remember LED lights use 90% less energy than conventional ones. Remember to turn the lights off before you go to bed or even set them on timers.
• Turn down – Set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature, typically between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius. Even if it’s cold outside you do not need to turn your thermostat up, the house will heat up to the temperature set. Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F.
• Lights - Use energy saving light-bulbs, they last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs and using one can save you around £55 over the lifetime of the bulb. Remember to always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Appliances - Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily. Leaving plugs switched on still uses energy even if the phone is not attached!
• Water efficiency - Only boil as much water as you need. A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they are fully turned off.
• Energy efficiency - If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher - one full load uses less energy than two half loads. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.