0800 Repair - Updates on Energy Schemes

Home Upgrade Grant

The Home Upgrade Grant (phase 2) is now operational in Darlington and across the Tees Valley.

The Home Upgrade Grant will provide energy efficiency upgrades and low carbon heating via local authority funding, to households that:

• are off the gas grid or their homes are not heated by Gas heating
• have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) between D and G and
• are low income or live in a qualifying postcode

HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Tees Valley) is a partnership of Local Authorities in the Tees Valley, made up of Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton and Redcar & Cleveland, all working as one under the HEET brand. The application system is being managed by Hartlepool Borough Council and customers can register their interest online at www.hartlepool.gov.uk/HEET

The HEET telephone number is: 0300 373 5807.

The scheme is due to run until March 2025, with solid wall insulation being included as a measure and solar batteries for existing and new installations hopefully being included from next April. There are cost caps depending on property types however the funding for this scheme is up to £40,000 per property.

ECO4

This one is for households on or off gas and can offer gas boiler replacements or repairs.

0800 Repair have contacted to let us know that they will be leafleting areas in DL2 next week so organisations may receive a few enquiries, the information they are using is the EPC data for the property which isn’t always accurate – this information hasn’t been supplied by the Council and this isn’t a Council run scheme.

As far as is known they will be using the same information as they did in the summer as attached.

If any customers do want further information on the scheme they can look on our website www.darlington.gov.uk/homeenergy It is likely that households will receive information from more than one company as there is a drive on improving energy efficiency in residential properties at the moment.

We can’t advise customers any further on which company they approach, if any, however they should get quotes if they have been asked for a customer contribution.

If customers find they do not qualify however there is an alternative route called ECOflex, this is where the Council can declare a household eligible for the installer (if certain criteria is met). Again, this isn’t a Council run scheme however we do have contract details of installers offering this route. There is more information online on the Ofgem website (Energy Company Obligation (ECO) - Homeowners and tenants | Ofgem) however there are links to the referral forms below from their website -

Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 Flex NHS referral letter template V1.0

Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 Flex Citizens Advice referral letter template V1.0

Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 Flex fact sheet for third parties V1.0

Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO4 Flex Householder Application Form

These should be sent to energyefficiency@darlington.gov.uk and one of the Private Sector Housing Officers will make contact with them to advise further.

If they are off-gas and owner occupiers, HUG funding may still be the better option though as there are no contributions to pay.

If anyone would like more information, please contact christine.booth@darlington.gov.uk