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Energy advice

If you’re a Newark and Sherwood resident on a low income, we want to help you to heat your home at an affordable cost. The Energy and Home Support team are here to help you find a better quality of life by living in a warm and comfortable home.

We do this by:

  • advising on offers and grants available
  • working with other councils across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in a Local Authority Energy Partnership
  • seeking funding opportunities to support residents with the cost of installing energy efficiency measures

For more information and advice, contact our energy team on 01636 650 000 or send us an email on help4u@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk.

If you are concerned about your energy costs and would like tailored and impartial information about how to improve the energy performance of your home, you can call a new government phoneline service on 0800 098 7950. This is open between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday and between 9am to 12pm on Saturdays. The phoneline service is in addition to the government’s energy advice website which provides recommendations based on your property details.

Free air source heat pumps

A new energy efficiency scheme, Connected for Warmth, is offering a scheme to households nationwide. The offer is free for both property owners and landlords. Funding is available on a first come, first served basis.

Connected for Warmth is an awarding-winning programme, managed by AgilityEco in partnership with Affordable Warmth Solutions, and funded by National Grid.

To find out more visit the Connected for Warmth website or call 0800 995 6564 for heat pumps.

Free Air Source Heat Pumps 

This scheme is available to households that don’t currently have a central heating system in any Council Tax Band, if your circumstances make you eligible. Properties with LPG and Oil boilers over 5 years old could also qualify.

Connected Warmth Free Air Source Heat Pumps Scheme (PDF File, 2,146kb)

Home Upgrade Grant (HUG)

The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) is a Government funded programme which provides energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating via local authority funding, to households across England.

The aim is to raise the energy efficiency of hard-to-heat homes, delivering a package of fully funded energy-saving upgrades covering free home insulation and/or free low-carbon heating measures. 

These measures make your home more comfortable and cheaper to heat, helping to lower your carbon emissions whilst reducing your heating bills in the long term.

What energy-saving upgrades could I receive?

The energy-saving upgrades available (often referred to as ‘measures’) range from Loft Insulation, Solid Wall Insulation, External Wall Insulation, Solar PV Panels and Air Source Heat Pumps. Please be aware that the measures vary in availability and will depend on what is suitable for your property.

Am I eligible?

You may be eligible if you:

  • have an annual household income below £36,000 (gross) or are in receipt of certain benefits
  • do not use mains gas as a form of heating
  • have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) between D and G

Please note that only households who meet the scheme criteria will be eligible for a grant and you may be asked for proof of income to ensure eligibility criteria is met. The energy-saving upgrades offered depend on availability.

How do I apply?

Contact Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP) who are processing applications. You can apply online here or call them on 0115 947 2207 to register your interest.

Who are Nottingham Energy Partnership?

Nottingham Energy Partnership are working with local authorities and contractors to deliver Home Upgrade Grants to homes in Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City. For more information please visit their website. 

Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT)

Home Energy Advice Team (H.E.A.T) Hub is a Government funded project, delivered by charities Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP) and Marches Energy Agency (MEA) across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

NEP and MEA are working alongside the Midlands Net Zero Hub and the Local Authorities Energy Partnership (LAEP) to work with local homeowners who are thinking about going greener. HEAT Hub delivers impartial advice and a reliable step by step energy plan, simplifying the switch to low-carbon systems and helping you to avoid making expensive mistakes.

Can the HEAT Hub help me?

Traditional homes that are not connected to the gas grid, located in conservation areas, or difficult to heat up, often face barriers when it comes to decarbonisation i.e., lessening the use of fossil fuels. This is because these homes are uniquely constructed and require careful consideration when installing renewable technologies and energy efficiency upgrades. Trying to navigate planning systems or trying to find a reputable installer can feel like risky business when you do it alone, so HEAT Hub are here to support you in making the best decisions for your home.

The HEAT Hub comprises experts in the industry, including experienced architects, retrofit assessors and coordinators. They will work with homeowners to develop their energy efficiency journey, producing improvement plans that take into consideration how to preserve the heritage and quality of your home, but also to maximise investments made.

More information is available on their website.

Events

How to improve the Efficiency of your Home  - Newark

Where: Holy Trinity Community and Partnership Centre, Boundary Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 4AU

When: Saturday 1st February, 10:00-12:00

The session kicks off with a presentation, followed by interactive breakout rooms focused on solar panels, air source heat pumps, and HEAT Hub’s complimentary Home Energy Plans. Connect with our expert Home Energy Advice Team and learn about tailored support to enhance your home’s energy efficiency while preserving its heritage.

Renewable technology installer T4 Sustainability will be joining HEAT Hub. T4 Sustainability are industry experts, with cutting-edge knowledge on the latest advancements in green technologies. They can advise you on how best to integrate renewables into your home improvement projects.

The event includes the opportunity to sign up for a FREE Home Energy Plan, featuring a detailed property survey and a phased retrofit action plan tailored to your goals. Choose between two focus areas:

  1. Greener living through improved energy efficiency.
  2. Generating clean heat and power.

Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your home and reduce your energy bills—reserve your spot today!

Register here: How to Improve the Efficiency of your Home – Newark — Home Energy Advice Team’

The Home Energy Conservation Act

The Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) required us to prepare a report setting out the energy conservation measures that the authority considers practicable, cost-effective and likely to result in significant improvement in the energy efficiency of residential accommodation in our area.

Read the HECA report (PDF File, 169kb)

This is the starting point for action by central and local government to significantly improve the energy efficiency of residential accommodation across the country. This is important as a legal requirement under the Climate Change Act 2008 and as a key strategy for reducing fuel poverty.

Driving local domestic energy efficiency improvements can bring significant benefits for the Council and our residents including:

  • helping to reduce fuel bills for local residents
  • helping make homes warmer and healthier
  • opportunities for local economic and physical regeneration
  • making a vital contribution to reducing local and national carbon emissions
  • supporting wider local strategic priorities, on issues such as health and poverty

Green Grants

Green Grants is a Government funded scheme which focuses on delivering FREE practical home energy improvements to raise the energy efficiency of poorly insulated homes occupied by low-income households within Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

The home improvements available include:

  • Solid wall insulation
  • Cavity wall insulation
  • Solar electricity panels
  • Room-in-roof insulation

All upgrades are subject to eligibility, availability and survey.

You may be eligible if all of the below apply to you:

  • Your main heating source is not gas
  • You own your home
  • The Energy Performance Certificate of your home is E, F or G (If you are not sure, we can find out for you, and if you do not have an EPC we can complete one free of charge)
  • Your combined annual household income is under £31,000 (gross)

Registrations for this phase of the scheme end on 31 January 2023. Please contact Nottingham Energy Partnership on 0115 947 2207 to apply, or visit https://www.nottenergy.com/ to find out more and apply online.

Latest news

Information from Citizen’s Advice on your energy supply, including how to switch supplier.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Heating our homes and workplaces with low carbon heat is one of the best things we can do to help combat climate change. Currently, heating all the buildings in the UK produces almost a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which is a central Government initiative, will provide grants to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon heating systems including air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps and, in limited circumstances, biomass boilers. Heating systems can be commissioned any time from 1 April 2022, and applications for grants opens from 23 May 2022. It has £450m funding confirmed over three years. Replacing your current heating system with a heat pump will reduce your carbon footprint.

To make the application for the scheme as simple as possible, it will be led by your chosen installer, with an opportunity for you to give consent that you are happy to proceed with the application.

Finding an installer
Your chosen installer will need to be certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). MCS is a nationally recognised standards organisation that gives you assurance of the quality of your product and competence of your installer. It also means your installer complies with high consumer protection standards.

In line with most home improvements, you may want to obtain a quote from more than one installer. You can find an MCS certified installer in your area here: www.mcscertified.com/find-an-installer/

For more information on the scheme, you can go to the Government website.

Solar Panels

If you are thinking of installing Solar Panels, or have recently had them fitted, the National Energy Action (NEA) website provides useful information that could help you better understand and maximise the benefits of having these.

Optimising your heating

The ‘Let’s Optimise your Heating’ scheme has been funded by Nottinghamshire County Council as part of their Cost of Living support programme.

The scheme aims to encourage households to lower the flow temperature of condensing combi boilers to approximately 60°C to optimise the efficiency of their boilers. This reduces gas consumption resulting in an average of 9% savings on gas bills, which equates to approximately £178 a year – helping to alleviate energy bills during the Cost of Living Crisis. 

The campaign is offering free home visits, where a member of the team visits homes, showing them how to optimise the boiler, make the change and answer any questions they might have. To be eligible for a home visit, households must have a condensing combi boiler and live within the Nottinghamshire County Council district.

Great British Insulation Scheme

You may be able to get free or cheaper insulation to reduce your home’s energy bills through the government's Great British Insulation Scheme.

You might get support if your home:

You can be a homeowner, landlord or tenant (either renting privately or from a housing association). If you’re a tenant, speak to your landlord before you apply. You’ll need their permission before any insulation can be installed.

To find out more or to apply, visit the government website.