Energy efficiency at home

Where can I get advice about how to keep my home warm?

During winter it is essential to keep warm and healthy and making your home more energy efficient and insulated will help you achieve this.  Along with the other initiatives and ideas you may have already seen on our website, advice and help is available from the following organisations:

• The Energy Saving Trust (external website) provides information on how to be more energy efficient
• GOV.UK - heating and housing benefits (external website) provides information on how to receive winter and cold weather payments if you are 60 or over, disabled or on a low income.

How can I save money on my fuel bills?

Different utility companies can charge different rates for supplying electricity and gas to your home. You may find a cheaper rate by changing your supplier or payment method. Various websites offer impartial advice on different tariffs available and explain how to change supplier.      

YORSwitch is a collective energy switch scheme run by the Council to register please visit or further details can be obtained by calling the Council on (01482) 393939.

National Energy Action can also offer advice on what to look for when deciding to change your tariff. To find out more information contact your supplier direct or visit:

The National Energy Action (external website)

Alternatively, you may like to join together with other consumers to cut energy bills using combined switching power of thousands of consumers, '38 Degrees North' are trying to negotiate with energy suppliers to secure a market deal:

38 Degrees North (external website)

You can also find a range of handy hints on how to reduce your fuel bills in the following document:

Handy Hints on Energy Efficiency (pdf 168kb opens in new window)

Where can I get advice if I am struggling to pay my fuel bills?

For debt advice please contact the National Debtline on (0808) 8084000.

Am I eligible for winter fuel and cold weather payments?

During winter it is essential to keep warm and healthy, making your home more energy efficient and insulated will help you achieve this. You maybe eligible for help with the cost of heating your home if you are 60 or over, disabled or on a low income.

Winter fuel payments are available if you were born on or before 5th January 1953. Cold weather payments may also be available to help those in receipt of benefit for periods of very cold weather.

For more details on either winter fuel or cold weather payments please visit the government’s website. 

Directgov (external website)

What kind of energy efficiency grants are available?

Cavity and loft insulation grants

The Council is currently working with a local contractor to offer grants for cavity and loft insulation if you live in a privately owned property. At present all the funding has been committed for the £99 scheme. If you are in receipt of an Energy Company Obligation eligible benefit or on a low income with a long term health condition or in fuel poverty under The Low Income High Cost definition then aid maybe still available and please email or contact as below.

To receive more information please complete a private housing service request (opens in new window),  email the energy efficiency team or telephone the council on (01482) 396301 and select option 2.

First time central heating grants

Following successful bids to the Warm Homes Fund  the council now has access to funding for first time gas central heating systems and air source heat pumps. This will allow more households to affordably heat their homes and in turn will help keep people warmer and healthier, especially if they have cold related or long term health conditions.

To find out if you qualify to access the funding for a first time gas central heating system or air source heat pump in your home, or someone you know, contact;(01482) 396180 or private housing service request (opens in new window),  email the energy efficiency team.

Funding is limited, so don’t delay getting in contact.

Renewable energy grants

Renewable grants at present are via Feed-in tariffs which have been available since April 2010. These grants are for solar electricity panels (PV) or wind turbines. For more information please visit the Energy Saving Trust website.

Energy Saving Trust (external website)

Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Grants

Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Grants are now available for the following measures;

• solar thermal panels (must be a flat plate or evacuated tube and designed only to provide domestic hot water)
• air source heat pumps
• ground source heat pumps
• biomass only boilers
• biomass pellet stoves.

Factsheets and guidance on applying for Renewable Heat Incentive Grants are available from Ofgem.

Ofgem (external website)

Heating Measures

npower Health Through Warmth aims to improve the levels of warmth, comfort, and quality of life for vulnerable people who have long-term illnesses made worse by cold living conditions.

Health Through Warmth may be able to assist with insulation, boiler repairs or replacement, heating systems or appliances, energy efficiency, and benefits advice as well as access to grants and other funds if you are an owner occupier. 

We know people can enjoy a better home environment and improved health and well-being when they are comfortable, confident, secure and safe at home.

If you think your housing conditions may harm your health condition you should contact a health or social care worker and ask to be referred to our service, especially if you are:

• living with a disability
  
• living with a long-term health condition

We receive referrals from a wide range of health workers and a wide range of other public services, community, charity, and volunteer services, including:

• community matrons
  
• carer's support
  
• occupational therapists
  
• social workers
  
• Age UK East Riding
  
• Fire Officers
  
• Citizens Advice
  
• Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council.

Alternatively please complete a  private housing service request (opens in new window),   email the energy efficiency team or telephone the council on (01482) 396301 and select option 2.

If you do not have a health condition made worse by the cold you may be eligible to the Energy Company Obligation Flexible Eligibility.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Flexible Eligibility

Further to the guidance by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, East Riding of Yorkshire Council has approved a Statement of Intent (SOI). This explains what eligibility criteria private sector households will need to fulfil for aid towards heating measures.

Energy Company Obligation Flexible Eligibility (pdf 43kb opens in new window)

If you wish to apply for the Fuel Poverty element of Flexible Eligibility please complete and return the following application form by email to  energyefficiency@eastriding.gov.uk

Flexible Eligibility Fuel Poverty Application Form (word 413kb opens in new window)

How can I calculate my carbon footprint?

If you would like to know how much you could save if you improved the energy efficiency of your property and made a few simple changes to how you live in your home, call the Energy Saving Trust’s freephone number (0800) 512012 and advisors will be happy to help you.

What is an Energy Performance Certificate?

Since October 2008, all domestic buildings require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) when they are bought, sold or rented out. An EPC gives information on how to make your home more energy efficient and reduce carbon dioxide (CO²) emissions.

A Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating is provided which measures the energy efficiency of your home using a grade from A to G, similar to the energy performance certificates now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient. The report also provides recommendations on what you could do to help reduce the amount of energy you use and reduce CO² emissions.

From 1 October 2008 landlords, or their agents, need to provide an EPC whenever a home in the social or private rented sector is let to a new tenant. Landlords, or their agents, must provide an EPC free of charge to prospective tenants at the earliest opportunity. This should be when they are first given written information about the property or view it, and before any rental contract is entered into. An EPC is not required for any property that was occupied before 1 October 2008 and which continues to be occupied after that date by the same tenant.

A number of amendments to the original regulations covering the provision of Energy Performance Certificates have been introduced over subsequent years and were consolidated in December 2012.

The following pdf document provides information to landlords on EPCs.

A guide to energy performance certificates for the construction,sale and let of dwellings (pdf 383kb opens in new window)

On October 9th 2017, the Government issued guidance on complying with new minimum EPC standards. 

The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) Regulations make it unlawful from 1st April 2018 to let domestic and commercial buildings in England and Wales which do not achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of 'E'.

With research revealing that around 1 in 20 homes would fail new energy efficiency standards, as they fall into the worst-rated Bands F and G, it is clear that many landlords need to take action to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.

To help, the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has now issued a guidance document for landlords on compliance with the 2018 'Minimum Level of Energy Efficiency' standard, in accordance with the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015. You can find more information at the Government's legislation.gov.uk website

Guidance for landlords and Local Authorities on the minimum level of energy efficiency required to let domestic property under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 (external website)

How do I find an accredited person to undertake an Energy Performance Certificate?

Only accredited domestic energy assessors and home inspectors can produce an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

If you use an independent energy assessor make sure they are a current member of an accreditation scheme, as this ensures your energy assessor is operating to professional standards. An EPC is only authentic if issued by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA).

The Council has its own team of DEAs and can be contacted by telephone on 01482 393800.

Details of accredited DEAs can be found at the Energy Performance Register:

Energy performance register (external website)

Can I get help to be connected to the Gas Network?

The Council are working with Communitas Energy CIC who, in partnership with Northern Gas Networks, manage an assisted connection voucher scheme, which will either partly or completely cover the cost of a new gas connection.

You may be eligible for an assisted connection voucher if you live at the property requiring a gas connection and meet any of the following;    

• You or your partner receive key qualifying benefits.
• You spend 10% or more of the total household income on heating your home to defined levels.

And/or:

• The property requiring connection is located in an area eligible for support, as designated by the energy regulator.

The property requiring connection must be an existing domestic dwelling. Other criteria may also apply and will be advised during your application according to your circumstances.

If you would like to find out more about the assisted gas connection voucher scheme, please contact the Council's Energy Efficiency team by calling (01482) 396301, making an online service request (opens in new window) or alternatively sending an email. The team will be able to answer your initial enquiries and arrange a quick assessment to confirm your eligibility. 

Please note: new build premises, alterations to existing supplies and non-domestic properties are exempt from the assisted connection voucher scheme.  If you rent your home permission will usually be required by your landlord. You must have confirmation of your assisted connection voucher before you apply for a connection from Northern Gas Networks.