Free energy improvements keep residents warm and worry-free – and others are urged to apply

“We feel like we’ve won the Lottery!” say a retired couple in Heworth after their bungalow was made more energy efficient.

Solar panels generating free electricity, loft insulation, and air source heat pump and eight new radiators are among the improvements made – and all were installed efficiently and completely free.

Ernest and Lindee Jacques found they were eligible for a Warm Homes Local Grant. Now, rather than sitting under blankets wearing layers of jumpers, they can enjoy life comfortably. Their bills have gone from £12 a day for gas and electricity, to just £4 a day for electricity only.

Being in receipt of Pension Credit, they were eligible for the free work, and were contacted by the York energy partnership, YorEnergy.

The couple had previously been cold-called by a company offering free insulation. But Ernest found poor reviews on their work and backed out. “I checked YorEnergy out and, because they are tied in with the Council, we were happy to trust them.”

An assessor surveyed their 1950s two-bedroomed bungalow where the couple have lived for 14 years. A series of measures were recommended to generate cheaper, more efficient electrical heating alongside improved insulation to keep the warmth in, plus better ventilation to stop mould building up.

Before the work was done, Ernest said he would turn on the central heating and the gas fire only when Lindee got up. She would sit under a blanket and he would wear two jumpers, two gilets, a hat and scarf in the colder weather. Both worried about the £12 daily cost of dual fuel and rationed the heating.

Council contractor Sureserve Energy Service Ltd organised and fitted loft insulation to retain heat, solar panels to generate free electricity, and a low-energy air source heat pump to power the new radiators.

Now the couple don’t worry about heating. Ernest wears one jumper and Lindee can go barefoot. Their daily fuel usage is down to a manageable £4.

There was some mould on the walls. The grant paid for trickle vents to be added to the double glazing and extractor fans to take damp air out of the house. Now the mould has gone.

Ernest, a retired mechanical engineer, said: “The work was done in early March by Sureserve. They knew exactly what they were about and did a marvellous and professional job. They made sure we were kept up to date and understood what they were going to do and what they had done. Everything was checked and certified and all the warranties put in place. We couldn’t fault the work: it was seamless.”

Lindee, a former care worker, said: “The workers were so polite and considerate when they were doing the job. Our home used to be cold, but now it’s comfortable and cosy. We feel like we’ve won the Lottery!”

Another Heworth resident, Kathleen, found it easy to apply for a grant for her terraced house. She said: “There’s been a tangible difference to the comfort of my home and a reduction in my energy bills.”

On sunnier days, her seven new solar panels generate enough free electricity to meet Kathleen’s needs in her home of 40 years.

“I am delighted with the installation of solar panels and other improvements. The extractor fans have greatly improved the air quality, making it feel fresher while reducing damp air from the shower and kitchen cooking.

“The improvements have given me the opportunity to manage my finances more closely and improve my quality of life enormously – while benefitting the environment.”

Successful applicants will be visited by an assessor who will recommend improvements suitable for the home. These could include insulation, low-carbon heating systems, and new radiators.

The work will be organised and carried out by the Council’s specialist contractor Sureserve Energy Service Ltd. Kathleen said: “Their work was exemplary. They worked hard to reduce any disruption wherever possible. They were polite, friendly and explained every procedure with the upmost clarity. At the end of the work there was no damage anywhere, and they completely cleared every area where they had worked.”

Any household, whether privately rented or owner-occupier, will be eligible if their home is in certain qualifying postcodes and has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of between D and G. The pre-qualified postcodes include parts of Acomb, Clifton, New Earswick, Hull Road and Westfield wards.

Other households are eligible if their home has a low Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of between D and G and:

• they get a means-tested benefit such as Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, or income-based Job Seekers Allowance, or Employment and Support Allowance

or

• they have a total household income of £36,000 per year or less.

Homes can use any type of energy: gas, electricity, oil and/or solid fuel. Park homes are eligible if they are the resident’s permanent address. New or self-build homes are not eligible.

Eligible owner-occupiers will get completely free, recommended energy efficiency measures. Eligible private tenants will need to ask their landlords to agree to the measures. Landlords can have improvements to one eligible property 100% funded and, if they own other homes occupied by eligible tenants, they’ll get 50% funding for them.

These improvements will build on the 211 homes of lower-income owners already made more energy-efficient since March 2025. They have benefited from measures include loft, flat roof, external wall and cavity wall insulation, air source heat pumps, smart heating controls and solar photovoltaic panels to generate electricity.

Councillor Michael Pavlovic, Executive member for Housing at City of York Council, said: “We’ve installed over 1,500 energy efficient measures to our Council homes, and this new grant will allow us to improve more homes over the next two years.

“These long-term improvements, such as topping up or fitting new insulation and draughtproofing, help retain warmth from low-energy heating systems, and also help keep homes more comfortable and healthier by preventing condensation and mould.”

Councillor Jenny Kent, Executive member for Environment at City of York Council, said: “The government’s Warm Homes Local Grant is a significant and really welcome investment in houses, making them warmer, healthier and cheaper to run, both now and for future generations.”

For more information on this grant scheme, to check your eligibility – and eligible postcodes – and to apply, you can:

• visit: www.york.gov.uk/WarmHomesLocalGrant
• or email: saveenergy@york.gov.uk
• or call: 01904 555520.