Help is available with energy use and improving energy efficiency of your home, from September 2024.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
The Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is available and the latest information is on their website.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) | OfgemThe Boiler Upgrade Scheme will provide upfront capital grants. These are to support the installation of heat pumps, and in some circumstances biomass boilers.
Cornwall Council has no direct involvement in this scheme, please contact installers direct.
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)
With GBIS you may be able to get free or cheaper insulation to reduce your home’s energy bills. You might get support if your home:
- has an energy performance certificate (EPC) of D to G - check your EPC
- is in Council Tax bands A-D in England.
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.
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)
Cornwall Council has no direct involvement in this Government led scheme.
Health led referrals
For any Cornwall Council led programme you or someone living in your home may have either:
- have a long-term health condition
- be at risk of poor health
- be caring for a vulnerable person
- be children aged 19 or under
- be worried about their home being cold or damp
Help to heat (LA Flex) Cornwall Council
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Help to Heat is a government energy efficiency scheme.
Help to heat is also sometimes known as Local Authority Flexible Eligibility (LA Flex). They both refer to the same scheme.
Under the ECO scheme, obligated suppliers fund the installation of energy efficiency improvements. These include loft or wall insulation.
Types of improvement
- cavity wall insulation
- loft insulation
- replacement heating or boiler
Most homes will qualify for this scheme.
Ofgem's Energy Company Obligation (ECO) page and guidance issued to local authorities will tell you more about this scheme
ECO4 ECO4 Delivery Guidance | Ofgem
Please see our updated joint Help to Heat statement of intent (Cornwall and Isles of Scilly). This explains how we can help qualifying residents and was issued on 29 February 2024.
Cornwall Council and Council of Isles of Scilly’s Statement of Intent 2024
Fuel poor households could be eligible for Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) funded home improvements.
Cornwall Council identifies, assesses and approves such households, through our partner Inclusion Cornwall.
The previous Statements of Intent for Cornwall Council area only can also be viewed
The previous Statement of Intents for Cornwall Council and Council of Isles of the Scilly can also be viewed:
- Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent 2021 3.1 Valid for period 1 January 2021 – 31 August 2022 only
- Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent 2022 4.1 Valid for period 1 September 2022 – 20 November 2022
- Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent 2022 4.2 Valid for period 21 November 2022 – 2 January 2023
- Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent 2023 4.3 Valid for period 3 January 2023 – 28 February 2024
Not all ECO improvements are approved or considered by Cornwall Council.
Any resident who has a query on any measures installed in their property under the ECO scheme can contact OFGEM direct. Please email ECO.SAR@ofgem.gov.uk.
The email must include the full postal address of the property.
Cornwall Council have a list of LA EcoFlex installers who can deliver energy efficiency and insulation in Cornwall.
This will help keep our residents safe and warm by adding new heating or loft, roof or wall insulation. They are Green Deal registered (different to Green Homes Grant) with PAS 2030 accreditation. They have also signed an Information Sharing Agreement with Cornwall Council.
View the list of LA EcoFlex installersLA FLEX - FAQ's for Customers
Memorandum of Understanding and Installer GuidanceEco Flex funding leaflet
Eligibility
Eligibility for any of our Winter Wellbeing programmes is based on the following:
You may be eligible if you meet the following conditions:
- you or someone living in your home may have either:
- have a long-term health condition
- be at risk of poor health
- be caring for a vulnerable person
- be children aged 19 or under
- be worried about their home being cold or damp
and
- you are an owner-occupier, a private landlord or rent from a private landlord
and - have a household income of £31,000 or less once your mortgage or rent, utility, care and council tax payments are deducted
How we assess
- Are households facing high energy costs, to stay warm?
- Is there a greater likelihood that a household is in fuel poverty?
- Is the household receiving a low annual income, after housing, energy, utilities, care and Council Tax costs have been deducted?
- Does fuel poverty apply?
To qualify as being in fuel poverty you live in a home with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D, E F or G.
Vulnerable to the cold
To qualify as vulnerable to the cold, you must meet any one of the following conditions:
- you have a recognised long term illness
- you are either over 65, have at least one child under the age of 19 or are pregnant
Low Income Low Energy Efficiency
To qualify as being in a home that has a low energy efficiency you need to meet the following conditions:
- the home has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D, E F or G
and - the household has a low annual income.
The schemes make a huge difference to so many customers, typical comments include:
“Ah that’s great thanks so much for your help with everything it will make such a difference to my life!”
“I have neglected to say a huge thank you for arranging the central heating for mum and chasing up the problem with her lounge ceiling. The company that ended up fixing her ceiling were amazing and did a wonderful job (one even came back the week after it was completed to give her an 80th Birthday card!). She still can’t believe she can get up in the middle of the night and be warm. It’s a luxury to her, one which she simply wouldn’t have been able to afford on her income. What you do really does make a difference, so thank you.”
“We have now had heating installed and I would like to thank you for this service. The house is warmer and drier than ever before, and our health has improved. Again, thank you.”
“Just wanted to say thank you for the central heating system. It's going to make such a difference this winter”
A special thanks for all those who made this all possible.
Park Home customer. - The New Gas Installation is absolutely fantastic. Heating and hot water. Plus my home feels warmer too even though I only have single glazed windows.
Another customer told us that their mental health has improved through her engagement with CEP. In an email she said: ‘Thank you again, for all that you are doing for us. I can’t tell you how much our mental health has been affected just to know you’re helping us’.
Home energy tips and other useful Information
For food help please visit Lets Talk Cornwall
Lets Talk Cornwall website - Help with food
For more information if your worried about money, please see our 'Worried about money page' in our 'Helping Hand' section.
To save energy around the home, as well as contacts for other energy and money advice services that can offer assistance.
- Avoid using standby on electrical devices - devices on standby mode can use almost as much energy as when they are being used. To help with this we have standby saver plugs which turn devices off from your remote.
- Reduce showering time by one minute - Showers are some of the most energy hungry appliances in our homes. Reducing the amount of time you are in the shower will help you save energy and water.
- Replace one bath a week with a shower - Baths use up far more water than showers (about two and a half times more). Showers are even more efficient if you use a shower aerator.
- Wash up in a bowl rather than the sink - A washing up bowl takes less water to fill which will save you money.
- Turn the thermostat down by one degree - This could reduce your heating bill by up to 10%. You can use thermostats and Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) to keep the rooms you use most warm while saving energy.
- Wash clothes at 30°C - Reducing the temperature of your wash from 40°C to 30°C could cost you 40% less. A cooler wash helps keep clothes looking newer for longer.
- Only boil as much water as needed - Two thirds of people overfill their kettle, often boiling twice as much as needed. Boiling only as much as you need means your kettle will boil quicker too!
- Turn off lights that aren’t being used - It’s always best to turn off lights that aren’t being used, even if only for a short time. This is even more important if you have any older, less energy efficient lightbulbs.
- Dry clothes outside where possible - Tumble dryers are amongst the most energy intensive appliances in the home. Drying clothes outside could reduce the amount of condensation in your home and can help reduce issues with damp and mould.
- Maximise washing loads - Ensuring that your washing machine or dishwasher is always full before you put it on means you’ll have to do fewer washes. These appliances use the same amount of energy regardless of how full they are.
You can find more information about saving energy in your home on the Energy Saving Trust’s website.
Other sources include the BBC
and Martin Lewis The Money Saving Expert
Water costs
South West Water help with historic debt, payments, meters etc