445 houses could benefit from green funding...

FAMILIES in the Staffordshire Moorlands are being encouraged to apply for funding to help make their homes more green and energy efficient.

The additional £4.2million funding from the Government’s Warmer Homes initiative follows the successful delivery of the Staffordshire Warmer Homes scheme up to November 2020.

During this first phase, the scheme helped install green homes measures in 240 Staffordshire homes.

The scheme is being delivered by Staffordshire County Council and is expected to benefit a further 445 households. Measures including cavity wall and loft insulation, solar thermal and PV panels, air source heat pumps, as well as double glazing windows and doors could be installed free of charge in eligible households.

In addition to benefiting local families, the scheme will also help tackle climate change which is a priority for the county council.

Once complete, the scheme is expected to deliver an estimated reduction in carbon emissions of 43 tonnes a year and a lifetime carbon reduction of over 8,600 tonnes.

Local businesses are also expected to benefit from the scheme by helping to do some of the work.

Julia Jessel, cabinet member for environment, infrastructure and climate change at Staffordshire County Council said: “This additional funding is great news for Staffordshire families and will allow us to build on the success of the first phase of the scheme which saw around 240 households benefit.

“Properly insulating homes and installing energy efficiency measures can really help to keep homes warmer and can help families save money on energy costs. Furthermore, making homes more green also helps the environment and the planet too, by reducing carbon emissions. This will help us to meet our target of being carbon net zero by 2050.

“I would encourage people to have a look at the website to see if they are eligible and to apply.”

The scheme is available to eligible families with low, or no income, those who claim benefits, or are elderly, disabled or have very young children living in the home.

Applications can be made by either homeowners or private tenants by visiting staffordshire. gov.uk/warmerhomes.