If you qualify for the scheme, your property will undergo a survey to see which measures will improve its energy efficiency the most and offer you the most savings.

This is based on a ‘fabric first’ approach which prioritises insulation and may require improved ventilation such as the addition of trickle vents in windows and extraction fans in kitchens and bathrooms.

Energy efficiency improvements supported by Warm Homes: Local Grant include:

• external or internal wall insulation
• loft insulation or room in roof insulation
• cavity wall insulation
• air source heat pumps and high heat retention storage heaters
• hot water cylinder insulation and thermostat
• digital or smart heating controls
• solar photovoltaics (PV)

Other measures may be recommended such as:

• low energy lighting
• underfloor insulation
• double glazing and energy efficient doors
• high temperature heat pumps
• solar thermal and direct electric heaters

Measures are subject to a technical and value for money assessment and available funds.

Your property type and structure will impact what measures and funding you can receive.

Warm Homes: Local Grant includes properties heated by any fuel type including mains gas, electricity, oil, coal, LPG, or Solid fuels.

Both your property and income will be assessed for eligibility. 

Property eligibility

Your property must meet all three of the criteria below.

1. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating

Your home must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D, E, F or G.

If you do not know your home’s EPC rating you can check via the:

• Find an energy certificate" service at GOV.UK

If your home doesn't have an EPC, this will be carried out free of charge if you meet all other criteria.

2. Location 

The postcode of the property must be within Worcester City, Malvern Hills or Wychavon Districts. You can check your local district council on the UK Government Find your Local Council webpage.

3. Ownership 

You must either be the legal registered owner(s) of the property or have a legal right to live in the property and have a signed up to date tenancy agreement.

Income eligibility

Your household income must meet one of the criteria below.

1. Income-eligible postcodes

If the home is in a postcode area that falls within Income Deciles 1 to 2 of the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, no assessment is made of household income. A list of postcodes is published and can be downloaded from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s website. This means that you are automatically eligible regardless of your individual household income but you will still need to meet the property eligibility criteria above.

2. Means-tested benefits

For homes outside of the relevant income deciles areas, households will be eligible if they are in receipt of means-tested benefits, including Housing Benefit, JSA, ESA, Income Support, Pension Credit (savings and guarantee), or Universal Credit. The recipient of the qualifying benefit must be a permanent adult resident of the property. 

3. Household income threshold

If your home is not in an income-eligible postcode, and you do not receive means-tested benefits as outlined above, but have a household income of £36,000 or less, including any benefits you receive (with the exception of Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance) you will be eligible as long as you meet the property eligibility criteria listed above.

Unsure on eligibility

If you're unsure whether you are eligible, please contact Act on Energy:

• phone: 0800 988 2881
• email: advice@actonenergy.org.uk

Act on Energy are a local energy charity and are supporting residents in Worcestershire with this process. 

Listed buildings and buildings located in conservation areas 

Many retrofit measures fall under the category of ‘permitted development’ for the purposes of planning consent. However Listed Buildings and buildings located in designated Conservation Areas may require additional planning consent.

Planning consent or Listed Building consent can take up to 12 weeks to obtain and this can delay the installation of retrofit measures.

Important Information

You will need to provide evidence of your household income and/or entitlements.

Eligibility for the scheme does not guarantee that you will receive energy efficiency or low carbon heating measures.

For rental and leasehold properties, the landlord or freehold owner must give permission for the works. Managed properties will also need to provide confirmation of managing agent permission.

Tenants of a social housing cannot access funds from Warm Homes: Local Grant. You can contact your housing provider to see if they have support available. 

If you are experiencing difficulty paying your fuel bills or need energy advice you can contact Act on Energy by:

• phone: 0800 988 2881
• email: advice@actonenergy.org.uk

Landlords may be eligible for funding if they meet the following criteria:

• tenants must meet one of the income eligibility criteria set out in the 'Eligibility for householders' section and have a signed up-to-date tenancy agreement
• the property must meet all three of the property eligibility criteria set out in the 'Eligibility for householders' section
• additionally, Landlords will have to confirm that they have not already exceeded the limit of £315,000 of Minimum Financial Assistance funding from public sources, as set out in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Subsidy Control Act 2022

If you own and apply to the scheme for multiple properties, only one property will be fully funded. Additional properties will receive 50% funding, with a 50% cost contribution required from the landlord.

The landlord’s contribution will need to be paid prior to measures being installed.

Landlords are not permitted to raise rent as a result of the upgrades installed under this scheme. 

Unsure on eligibility

If you're unsure whether you are eligible, please contact your local energy charity, Act on Energy:

• phone: 0800 988 2881
• email: advice@actonenergy.org.uk

Important Information

Your tenants will need to provide evidence of their household income or entitlements.

Eligibility for the scheme does not guarantee that you will receive energy efficiency or low carbon heating measures.

Warm Homes Local Grant cannot be used to fund improvements to a property so that it meets the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards Regulations. If your privately rented property is rated EPC Band F and G, it must have registered exemptions under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 to be deemed eligible. This is because funding cannot be used to make these properties compliant with existing regulations. Funding may be used to improve the property beyond the minimum legal requirement.

Many retrofit measures fall under the category of ‘permitted development’ for the purposes of planning consent. However Listed Buildings and buildings located in designated Conservation Areas may require additional planning consent.

Planning consent or Listed Building consent can take up to 12 weeks to obtain and this can delay the installation of retrofit measures.

To register your interest, contact your local Energy charity 'Act on Energy' by one of the following methods:

• call Act on Energy on freephone: 0800 988 2881
• email: advice@actonenergy.org.uk
• register online: complete the online form below, your details will be passed onto Act on Energy who will contact you regarding the full application process

Expression of interest form

Act on Energy will send you an application pack and are on hand to help with any questions you have.  They will inform you of the outcome of your application and whether you are eligible for the scheme.  

If you are eligible, you will be contacted by our appointed contractor to arrange for a whole house retrofit assessment and EPC to take place.  The assessment will help to identify the improvements that may be suitable for your home and save you the most money on your energy bills.

Each eligible property will be allocated a Retrofit Coordinator who will go through the recommendations with you and will be the main point of contact in relation to the works.

If you are happy with the proposed recommendations, our appointed contractor will arrange to come out to your property to complete a survey so they can design and price for the intended energy efficiency measures, which will be subject to Government approval through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

You will be informed of the outcome and which measures have been approved by DESNZ.   You will be asked to confirm if you want to go ahead with the work and the Contractor will contact you to arrange a date for the work to commence.

The Retrofit Coordinator will liaise with the contractor carrying out the work on your behalf and make sure the survey and installation follow the quality standards set by Government, PAS2035 and TrustMark.

After the works have been completed, you will be provided with a handover pack which will include operation and maintenance manuals, guarantee and warranty information.

If your property received upgrades through the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) and/or the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) schemes then it may only receive further upgrades on the condition that it can achieve an EPC rating C, or low carbon heating is installed as part of the recommended package of measures.  

If you are currently selling or planning to sell your property you must let Act on Energy know.  

The process from application to works being completed and handover can take a number of months.  This is because the scheme must comply with the PAS  2035: 2023 standard which outlines the processes and regulations that must be followed to ensure a good quality installation.

This scheme includes average price caps per property which may impact on the amount of work that can be carried out.

Ventilation recommendations are a requirement if you are receiving fabric measures such as insulation and must be installed before other measures.

EPC ratings are based on the RdSAP system which is updated from time to time. This means that the EPC rating of a property may change and this could impact on eligibility for the scheme.

Worcestershire County Council reserve the right to prioritise applications if the scheme is over-subscribed. An eligible application does not guarantee receipt of measures, which are subject to survey, availability, property suitability, access, funding caps and timescales.

Installations may be subject to permission being granted. This may include planning permission or listed building consent.

The contractors working on your home will be TrustMark approved.

The Warm Homes:  Local Grant (WH: LG) is a partnership between Worcestershire County Council, Malvern Hills, Worcester City, and Wychavon District Councils to deliver works which reduce fuel poverty by identifying potential savings on household energy bills, and to improve the sustainability of homes in south Worcestershire. 

Your personal data will be shared with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Act on Energy and Worcestershire County Council scheme. For details of how they use and manage your data.

Policies:

• Worcestershire County Council's Warm Homes Local Grant Privacy Notice
• DESNZ: Warm Homes: Local Grant: privacy notice for end-users (householders, landlords and installers)
• DESNZ: Using home retrofit scheme data to manage fraud, error and non-compliance privacy policy
• Act on Energy privacy policy
• Midlands Net Zero Hub privacy policy