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Housing energy grants

Calderdale Home Insulation Scheme

Calderdale Home Insulation Scheme offers discounted (sometimes completely free) loft and cavity wall fibre insulation to all owner occupiers and private tenants living in suitable houses in Calderdale.

Both cavity wall fibre insulation and loft insulation is available through the Calderdale Home Insulation Scheme, along with draught proofing to external wooden doors and hot water tank jackets.

Loft insulation top ups to 270mm (11 inches) are also available for houses with 100mm (4 inches) or less of existing loft insulation. Calderdale Council will arrange for this to be checked as part of the suitability survey.

Benefits

The Energy Savings Trust website confirms that an un-insulated 3 bed semi-detached household could make the following savings by installing insulation:

• The current recommendation of 270mm of loft insulation will save approximately £150 on energy costs and 800 kg of carbon per year
• Cavity wall insulation will save approximately £115 on energy costs and 610 kg of carbon per year.

Eligibility

The package of assistance will depend on each household's circumstances. Insulation is free to residents in any of the following groups:

• All people aged over 70 years old
• If someone in the property is aged 60-69 and the property is in council tax band A-C
• Other households in receipt of a means tested income, working tax credit, child tax credit and an income of less than £16,040 or a disability benefit.

Regardless of individual circumstances the maximum grant available is £500. Any extra costs such as scaffolding or creation of a new or wider loft hatch will be included in this overall maximum.

The first £100 of any insulation works is paid for by the Council for:

• Calderdale residents aged between 60-69 living in a house in Council Tax Band D or above.

This is in addition to the subsidy provided by the energy companies.

Subsidised rates for all

To ensure that the benefits of this insulation are accessible and affordable to all, where a household does not qualify for free insulation they can still benefit from subsidised insulation through Calderdale Council's approved contractor Dyson Insulations. Calderdale Council's Housing Energy Action Team can provide more details.

Subsidised loft insulation and cavity wall insulation is available from £99 each (based on a typical 3 bedroomed semi-detached house). Without the subsidy from the energy companies, the typical price for loft and cavity insulation could cost up to £850 for both measures.

Payment options

Calderdale Council can assist with an interest free payment facility if it is needed. This is managed by Calderdale Credit Union and paid back by the householder over a period of up to 12 months, depending on what's affordable. This assistance is available to all householders regardless of their circumstances.

The minimum finance amount is £100 and applicants have to become members of the Credit Union as part of the application procedure. The savings a household could make on its energy bills will help to cover the cost of the monthly payments.

To find out more, households should have a survey carried out by Dyson Insulations and then contact the Council's Housing Energy Action Team.

How to apply

To apply for the free or discounted insulation or to get details of current pricing, just do any of the following:

• Ring the scheme contractor Dyson Insulations on 0800 833018 to discuss your circumstances and arrange a survey
• Ring the Council's Housing Energy Action Team on 0845 245 6000 or email your details to heat@calderdale.gov.uk

Case study

Mr and Mrs Watson of The Hoods in Brighouse qualified for free cavity wall and loft insulation through the Calderdale Home Insulation Scheme. Mrs Watson said:

"The whole process was very simple and the service that I had was fantastic. All of the work was completed in less than three hours and the team from Dyson were very clean and tidy and left no mess at all. I look forward to seeing the difference that this makes in the colder months."

Mr Stubbs of Scholey Road, Brighouse, also qualified for free cavity wall and loft insulation through the scheme. Mr Stubbs said:

"I'm really pleased that I've had my home insulated. The guys from Dyson explained to me how insulation works and the benefits to be had from loft and cavity wall insulation. They were very flexible in terms of arranging a day to do the work and were helpful and friendly."

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