Take advantage of funding for a warmer, energy-efficient home

The Government has made a further £70 million available under the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) for homeowners to make energy saving home improvements, such as solid wall insulation, replacement boilers, cavity wall and roof insulation and replacement windows.

Householders could claim up to £5,600, including £3,750 for solid wall insulation and up to £1,250 for two other energy saving measures from an approved list.

The funding is available on a first come, first served basis and is likely to be very popular.

Full scheme details, including the energy saving measures covered by the scheme and how to apply for the funding, are available from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) website.

To apply for this current round, homeowners should:

l Visit the DECC website to see what funding is available. It will not meet the full cost of the work, but will represent a significant contribution.

l Have a Green Deal Assessment or Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which is less than two years old. These will set out the recommended energy saving improvements for your home.

l Get a quote from a GDHIF-registered installer or provider for work specified on the Green Deal Assessment Report or EPC and included on the list of GDHIF approved measures. Householders are encouraged to get more than one quote to make sure they get value for money.

l Apply for a Green Deal Home Improvement Fund voucher through DECC. This can be redeemed against the cost of the recommended improvements to your home.

As a member of Your Energy Sussex, the local council energy saving partnership working with Carillion, West Sussex County Council recommends that householders consider using a locally-based, accredited installer to provide quotes and carry out work.

For no obligation advice about getting a Green Deal Assessment and quotes for work from local, accredited suppliers, you can speak to the Your Energy Sussex delivery partner Carillion on 0800 402 1442.

Report contributed by West Sussex County Council.