Information about how to save money on fuel bills and grants and loans to help you heat your home efficiently.
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Energy efficiency and affordable warmth
What is Affordable Warmth?
Affordable warmth is the ability to heat a home to an adequate level for household comfort and health without developing debt as a result. The lack of affordable warmth is known as fuel poverty.
With the rising cost of energy, more people are struggling to afford their heating costs.
Living in a cold home impacts a person’s physical and mental wellbeing, damaging their health and affecting their quality of life.
The elderly, children and those with a disability or long-term illness are especially vulnerable. There are three main causes of fuel poverty:
- Poor energy efficiency in the home
- High energy prices
- Low household income
Improving the energy efficiency of a home can deliver affordable warmth to households. Houses are warmer, fuel bills are reduced and carbon emissions are lower, which helps tackle climate change.
See our Green Future; What you can do page; there are plenty of things that we can do to lighten our individual footprint on our planet. On the page we have listed lots of ways you can help to create a Green Future for North Lincolnshire.
Information about how to save money on fuel bills, the Disabled Facilities Grants and other grants and loans is available on the Housing support and financial assistance page.
Your council is giving you the opportunity to lower your energy bills and live in a warmer home for zero cost through the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme.
The Warm Homes: Local Grant may be able to provide you with FREE improvements to your home through funding secured by the council.
Check if your eligible and apply by clicking on the link below:
Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant to improve a home – GOV.UK Please note that YES Energy Solutions will contact you direct if you apply through this link in their role as delivery partner for this scheme.
North Lincolnshire Council are working with community interest company YES Energy Solutions to help you have a warm efficient home with energy efficient upgrades for your home. YES Energy Solutions will be with you every step of the way as they plan out the best way to improve your home’s efficiency and lower your energy bills with their accredited installers.
With the current cost of living crisis and rising energy costs – it’s never too early to get your home prepared for winter with upgrading your home through the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
You may be eligible for the grant if the below applies to you:
- You have a gross annual household income of £36,000 or less, or someone in the property receives a means tested benefit.
- Your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is in band D or below.
- Live in certain postcode areas – YES will confirm this when assessing eligibility for the scheme
Energy advice available to all residents from YES
Contact YES Energy Solutions to upgrade your home today. Greener Homes advice line – Text ADVICE to 82228 or ring 01422 880100
Their advice team is on hand to guide you and will work to help you access support – for homeowners, private renters and those living in social housing. This may include grants for energy efficiency improvements to your home, benefit entitlement, or financial help towards your energy bills. YES can help with over the phone support, and their free energy saving pack contains gadgets to save energy as well as helpful guides is available if you request additional support.
As part of the delivery of the Warm Homes Plan, a series of supporting documents have been produced to help residents and stakeholders better understand the offer, how it works, and the options available.
The Warm Homes Plan Summary provides a concise overview of the scheme, setting out its aims, eligibility criteria, and the types of energy efficiency and low carbon improvements that may be available to households.
The Warm Homes Plan FAQs document has been produced to address common queries, providing clear and accessible information on how the plan operates, what households can expect during the process, and where additional support may be available.
The Loan Information document explains the financial options linked to the Warm Homes Plan, including eligibility, repayment principles, and how loans may be used to support eligible home energy improvements.
Please note that the current information is limited and further details will be made available by the government later this year.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill.
If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. The money is not paid to you.
You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity and you’re eligible. Contact your supplier to find out.
Visit the government website for further information on eligibility and how to apply.
If you were born before 22 September 1959 you could receive between £100 and £300 to help you pay your heating bills for winter 2025 to 2026. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment.
Visit the government website for further information on eligibility and how to apply.
You may receive Cold Weather Payments if you are receiving certain benefits or support for mortgage interest. The payments do not affect your other benefits.
Visit the government website for further information on eligibility and how to apply.
North Lincolnshire Council is committed to helping residents save money on their energy bills, which is why we are promoting the Switch Together Energy scheme to encourage you to register your interest.
What is Switch Together Energy?
Energy switching is not a new concept; however, we see that 55 percent of people have not switched in the last three years. This means your supplier defaults you onto a ‘Standard Variable Tariff’. Switch Together Energy uses the bargaining power of your community to get a competitive offer for you. iChoosr invite pre-vetted energy suppliers and ask them to underbid each other to ensure you get a competitive offer. This service is free, and there is no obligation to switch to the winning supplier once you receive your personal offer.
To register now, go to the Switch Together Energy website.
Alternatively, you can register offline by calling the Big Community Switch on 0800 0488 439. (Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm) This line is not run by North Lincolnshire Council but by our Switch Together Energy partner iChoosr.
The winning supplier will be the one making the lowest offer, and the more households that take part the greater the negotiating power.
For further information on how the scheme works visit the Switch Together Energy website.
North Lincolnshire Council is working in partnership with ichoosr, who are experts in sustainable energy transition, to make the transition to clean energy as cost-effective and hassle-free as possible.
North Lincolnshire residents will be able to join the group-buying scheme, which offers solar panels with optional battery storage and EV charge points, as well as retrofit battery storage for residents who have already invested in solar panels and are looking to get more from the renewable energy they generate.
June auction details
- Registration opens 1 June 2026
- Registration closes 24 July 2026
- Personal offers with be sent out shortly after the registration closure date
How does it work?
- Householders register online to become part of the group for free and without obligation
- Pre-approved UK solar PV suppliers participate in a reverse auction. They can offer competitive pricing as the volume and geographic concentration makes it possible for them to realise greater efficiencies, which they pass on with lower prices for installations
- After the auction, registered households will be emailed a personal recommendation which is specific to the details they submitted in their registration
- If they choose to accept their recommendation, the specifics of their installation will be confirmed with a technical survey after which a date can be set for the installation of their solar PV system
- Telephone and email help desks are on hand throughout the whole process which, together with information sessions, will allow households to make an informed decision in a safe and hassle-free environment
iChoosr has been collaborating with UK councils since 2015 on its Solar Together scheme, aiming to accelerate the energy transition nationwide.
For more information on upcoming auction dates, please contact North Lincolnshire Council’s Affordable Warmth Officer on 01724 297000 or via housing@northlincs.gov.uk
An energy performance certificate (EPC) will show how easy your property is to heat and give you an indication of the annual heating costs. The certificate also includes an environmental C02 rating that indicates your home’s impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide emissions as well as the potential for improvement.
Any properties now being advertised for rent, or if your home is put on the market for sale, must have an energy performance certificate (EPC). This must be available for a tenant and prospective tenants or prospective buyers to see.
An EPC is required by law when a building is built, sold or put up for rent. If you are a landlord or homeowner and need to provide an EPC, you’ll need to contact an accredited domestic energy assessor. They will carry out the assessment and produce the certificate.
For further information see the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) on Gov.UK
Saving energy
Whether you’re a landlord, tenant or homeowner there are many ways of saving energy and making your home more energy efficient.
We work with the Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council to offer an oil bulk buying scheme. For further information or to join visit Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council.
A cold home is one that cannot be economically maintained at temperatures of 18⁰C to 21⁰C. Even when it is -1⁰C outside, the heating system should be capable of maintaining these temperatures inside the home. Homes that have an F or G rating for energy performance cannot be economically maintained at between 18 and 21⁰C. People who live in cold homes are at a higher risk of becoming ill. If a property does not have adequate heating it can be danger to health of all the people who live there. Older residents are the most at risk if they cannot keep their homes warm. If a household has to spend more than 10 per cent of their income on heating they are classed as being in fuel poverty. If you make your home more energy efficient it will cost you less to heat it, meaning you can keep warm and save money.
If you rent your home and think it is too cold, you can ask your landlord to make improvements. If they refuse you can contact us for advice. Private tenants and homeowners may be able to get a grant for insulation and possibly heating improvements. Insulating your home will make it cheaper to keep warm.
If you are a landlord, you should aim to achieve an energy efficiency rating of D (the average) or higher for your rented properties. You need to provide an affordable heating system that is capable of achieving temperatures of between 18⁰C and 21⁰C. Systems must be well maintained and tenants should be shown how to use them effectively.
For information on keeping your home warm see the heating your home page on the Energy Saving Trust website
The Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) requires all local authorities (LAs) in England to submit reports to the Secretary of State of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), demonstrating what energy conservation measures they have adopted to improve the energy performance of residential accommodation within that LA’s area.
In line with this statutory requirement, North Lincolnshire Council has produced and digitally published its Home Energy Conservation Act Report 2023 for the April 2021 – March 2023 period. This report has been formally submitted, via the prescribed online portal to DESNZ, in advance of the 29 February 2024 deadline.
More information can be found in the Housing Plan 2023 – 2028 which sets out the Councils vision and priorities for housing in North Lincolnshire over the next five years.