Derby City Council is showing its commitment to decarbonisation by improving the energy efficiency of homes with a new bid for government grant funding.

Pending approval at Wednesday evening’s Cabinet, a bid will be submitted for £1.991m of funding from the Home Upgrade Grant 2 Scheme to cover 2023/24 and 2024/25. The £700m Government grant is the second phase of the scheme which is available to local authorities from April 2023 until March 2025.

The grant awards funding to local authorities to make energy efficiency and non-fossil fuel heating upgrades, for properties in fuel poverty and that are not connected to the gas grid.

Should the bid be successful, the funding would be received this year, with upgrades being delivered between April 2023 and March 2025. It is hoped that around 100 homes will benefit from heating upgrades and cavity, loft, or external wall insulation. This will include some park homes which currently have very poor heat retention.

Heating and powering our homes is one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gasses in Derby. By improving the efficiency of the worst performing homes in the city, we will go some way to reducing our emissions and reaching our climate change targets.

The funding would also make a difference to residents energy bills at a time when many are struggling with the rising cost of living.

Councillor Steve Hassall, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Decarbonisation & Strategic Planning & Transport said:

Many homes in Derby are being hit by the rising cost of living and using more energy to heat a home with outdated heating or poor insulation exaggerates both the financial and environmental impacts.

This funding, should an approved bid be successful, will provide us with further resource to deliver improvements to low-income fuel poor households in Derby, raising them to a more efficient standard, whilst also reducing our city’s emissions and saving our residents money.

If anyone would like further information on this they can contact the Council on 01332 640 000 (option 7) or home.repairs@derby.gov.uk.

Eligibility is restricted to owner-occupied and some private rented properties that aren’t on the gas grid. Properties must also have an EPC rating of band D, E, F or G. For owner-occupied properties, eligibility is restricted to those with a household income below £31,000 per year.