Green green grants for home

GRANTS worth up to £5,000 are being made available for homeowners looking to save on their energy bills.

The government-backed scheme offers up to two-thirds of the cost of installing energy efficiency home improvements, such as home insulation or low carbon heating – the cost could save homeowners £600 a year on their energy bills.

AndWokingham Borough Council is encouraging residents to apply for the scheme as part of its drive to become carbon neutral by 2030.

“We have committed £50million over the next three years to assist in the reduction of the borough’s carbon footprint but we cannot reach carbon neutrality alone,” said Cllr GregorMurray, the executive member for climate emergency.

“The green homes grant is a fantastic opportunity for our residents to save money on a home improvement which will then save them money year on year. And, they’ll be helping to reduce residential carbon emissions across the borough and get the council closer to our goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.”

Seeing residents convert to greener forms of energy – or even switching from gas power to electricity – can help the council reach its target.

Suggested projects include installed an air source heat pump, a ground source heat pump, solar thermal panels or biomass pellet boilers.

Cllr Murray added: “Domestic carbon emissions account for 45% of the total carbon emissions for the borough, so we need to improve the energy efficiency of our homes if we’re going to get to carbon neutrality.”

And Cllr Murray is a politician who intends to put his moneywhere his mouth is: “The application process is simple – I’ve just applied for a grant and it only took a couple of minutes.

“If my grant application is approved, I stand to save 25% on my annual heating costs while helping the council reach their carbon neutral goal and most importantly it’s good for the environment.”

Wokingham Borough Council said that a higher level of subsidymay also be available if a homeowner or a member of the household receives one of the qualifying means-tested benefits, which could result in 100% of the cost of the improvements being covered up to £10,000.

More information on the qualifying benefits is available on the Simple Energy Advice website, www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk and search green homes grant.