Residents in Cornish homes with low energy-efficiency ratings are set to benefit from a £25m government funding boost to make their homes warmer, greener and cheaper to run.
A £20.7m Home Upgrade Grant is being awarded to Cornwall Council from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to fund improvements such as insulation and solar panels to private housing in rural parts of Cornwall.
Any homeowner or private tenant whose home has an Energy Performance Certificate between D and G, who lives in a rural area and has a household income of less than £31,000 is eligible to apply.
Up to 1,000 homes are set to benefit from the upgrades which will be delivered by energy supplier OVO Energy.
The council will also contact participants on its Winter Wellbeing programme to let them know about the available funding.
In addition to the Home Upgrade Grant the government has also announced a £1.76m cash injection to improve the energy efficiency in Cornwall Council homes through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
Up to 200 homes managed by Cornwall Housing are set to benefit from having measures such as insulation and solar panels retrofitted.
The homes to benefit will be in Camelford and Millbrook in Torpoint with a smaller number of properties in St Newlyn East, Rock, Port Isaac and Lanivet.
The council will also be investing from its Housing Revenue Account and capital funding to bring the total funding for the project up to £4m.
Councillor Olly Monk, Cornwall’s cabinet member for housing and planning, said:
“This funding will help make our residents’ homes warmer, cost less to run and reduce their impact on the planet. It also recognises the additional challenges our residents in rural areas have when it comes to heating their homes.”
Councillor Andy Virr, Cornwall’s cabinet member for adults, said:
“Having a warm and energy-efficient home is key to our health and wellbeing and mitigates the impact of the increased cost of living.”
Su Spence, managing director at Cornwall Housing, said:
“The funding will be a great boost to our strategy in improving the quality of our homes so that all residents can live in a warm and low-cost property. We look forward to working with OVO on this project but most importantly with our residents to roll out new and better ways of heating their homes.”
Mat Moakes, chief commercial officer of OVO Energy said:
“By working with leading local authorities and housing associations, we’ve unlocked a huge opportunity to create greener, more energy-efficient homes for those people who live in draughty homes and will benefit from lower energy bills.
“Now, more than ever, the projects are critical to supporting households during the cost-of-living crisis while also bringing down the carbon footprint of the home. We’re proud to be working with Cornwall Council helping to retrofit homes across the county.”
Find out about the Home Upgrade Grant
Improving the energy efficiency of homes is a key part of Cornwall Council's plan to help Cornwall become carbon neutral. For more information see:
Plan to tackle climate emergency
Story published March 23, 2023
