Barnsley Council is committed to helping households in the Borough to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. To this end it has recently produced a home energy efficiency strategy – if you would like to have a look at the strategy document please follow this link.
The need to improve energy efficiency is particularly important given the rapid increase in fuel bills in recent years which has led to an increase in the number of households across the Borough in fuel poverty or in danger of falling into fuel poverty. If you or anyone else you know is struggling to pay their fuel bills more information on fuel poverty and how to combat it can be found by following this link.
Improving energy efficiency also helps to improve our environment. Over 25% of all carbon emissions arise from the manner in which we heat and use our homes, so measures to improve home energy efficiency and thereby reducing carbon emissions are to be welcomed.
Assistance Available to Householders and Property Owners
Private Sector Housing
The assistance that is available to households in private sector housing is a mixture of national and local schemes. Unfortunately, as a result of cuts in public expenditure Barnsley Council has had to end the majority of its grant funded schemes to improve home energy efficiency in the private sector. Below is an overview of the schemes that are currently available:
Warm Front
The Warmfront scheme provides support to households in, or at risk of, fuel poverty who live in private sector housing. These households might typically include low income households and families, disabled and elderly people. The scheme provides a package of insulation and heating improvements up to £3,500 (or £6,000 where oil, low carbon or renewable technologies are recommended). To qualify for Warm Front, applicants must either own their home or rent it from a private landlord. Applicants should also be in receipt of certain qualifying benefits. For a full list of qualifying benefits, improvements provided and more information on the Warm Front Scheme visit www.warmfront.co.uk
Private Sector Rented Accommodation
Landlords and managing agents who are members of the Barnsley Accreditation Scheme can benefit from grant funding to assist with the cost of insulation and boiler replacement work; for more information follow this link .
Landlords can also benefit from the Landlord’s Energy Savings Allowance (LESA). This is a tax allowance of up to £1500 per year that can be claimed against the costs of buying and installing certain energy saving products. For more information on LESA go to the Direct.gov.uk website at www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Privaterenting/RentingOutYourProperty/DG_175186
General Advice on Saving Energy
We work in partnership with the South & West Yorkshire Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre to give general advice on saving energy in the home. For general advice on how to save energy visit the Energy Saving Trust website at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Renewable Energy
There is growing interest in the role that renewable energy can play in helping to meet energy requirements in the home. Energy is renewable when it comes from a source that is naturally replenished when used.
The main energy sources used for the microgeneration of energy in the home are:
• energy from sunlight
• heat from the earth, the air or water sources
• plants grown for fuel (biomass or biofuels)
• the movement of water (known as hydro) and wind.
There is a growing array of technologies available to enable the generation of electricity in the home. Householders are being encouraged to take up renewable technology through a range of financial incentives; these include Feed in Tariffs (FITs) the Renewable Heat Premium Payment and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). For more information on renewable energy go to the Energy Savings Trust website at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy
Hotspots
This is a South Yorkshire -wide project administered by Doncaster Council. The project provides a referral network for households to enable them to benefit from a number of safety, security and health-based services, including advice on energy saving measures in the home. For more information on the Hotspots project please visit the Doncaster Council website at www.doncaster.gov.uk/Environment_and_Planning/EnergyEfficiency/Hot_Spots.asp or call freephone 0800 028 1067
The Green Deal
The Green Deal is the Government’s flagship policy for improving the energy efficiency of buildings (both domestic and non-domestic) in the UK. The Green Deal was launched as a concept in December 2010 and is timetabled to become a practical reality in late 2012.
The Green Deal will create a new financing mechanism that will tackle two of the biggest barriers for property owners that prevent them investing in energy efficiency measures, namely the up-front costs of the works and the length of time required for measures to pay for themselves through savings on fuel bills. The Green Deal will address both of these disincentives head on by:
• Enabling private companies to carry out energy efficiency works at no up-front cost to the property owner through the provision of loans of up to £10,000 per household &
• Ensuring that property owners are only liable for paying the cost of the measure, through increased fuel bills, whilst they are the bill payer; when they move on the liability will pass to the next occupants of the property.
This entry will be updated as plans for the launch of the Green Deal are finalised.
Council Housing
Home energy efficiency improvements have been carried out to council housing across the Borough under the Decent Homes programme. The Decent Homes programme was completed in December 2010 but the Council continues to spend money to further improve the energy efficiency of council housing; this includes plans to install renewable technologies, such as solar panels and heat pumps, to generate energy in the home. For more information on home energy efficiency in council housing you should follow the link to the Berneslai Homes website or contact Barnsley Connects on 01226 775555 - Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm and Saturday 8am - 1pm.
Housing Association Housing
The energy efficiency of housing association properties is addressed through the ongoing maintenance programme of each housing association that operates within the borough. If you are a housing association tenant you should contact your landlord direct for more information.
Contact
Tel: 01226 772518 & 775184
Write: The Energy Efficiency Officer
Strategy, Growth and Regeneration
PO Box 603
Barnsley
S70 9FD
Email: housing@barnsley.gov.uk
Opening Times: Monday to Thursday: 09:00am to 05:00pm
Friday: 09:00am to 04:30pm
South Yorkshire Hotspots - Freefone 0800 0128 1067
Related Links
- Energywatch offer support to businesses and services in their field of interest.
- Energy Saving Trust is a non-profit organisation that provides free and impartial advice on how to stop wasting energy.
- Renewable Energy Heating Grants available for UK households
Reference: PID880
