FAQs

The Answers You Need

HOW IS MY LOCAL AUTHORITY INVOLVED WITH THESE GRANTS?

Local Authorities are able to offer flexible grant eligibility based upon:

Income
Health
Energy Performance of your home
Energy Costs
Household composition - age, number of children etc.
Property type and location

This means that residents do not have to be in receipt of benefits to apply for our grants.

We aslo have access to many charitable trusts who offer grants depending on individual circumstances.

WHO PAYS FOR THE GRANT?

The grants are provided by energy suppliers, who are required to fund energy efficiency works; national government and charitable trusts to help people lower their energy bills and save carbon. So, your grants might come from various sources including:

your Local Authority
Government
Charitable Trusts
Energy Suppliers
Other Energy Efficiency Funders

ARE THE WORKS FREE?

Subject to meeting the qualifying eligibility, the energy saving works should be free of charge, but we can confirm this once we know a bit more about your home and have completed a free home survey. For a 1st time, central heating system - your home will need to have no heating or be using electric or portable heating. Once we have all of the information, you are free to decide if you wish to go ahead with the works. If there is a contribution to pay, our Grant Co-ordinators will do their very best to source additional grant funding based upon your individual circumstances

DO I NEED TO BE IN RECEIPT OF BENEFITS?

No. You may also be eligible if you meet the eligibility criteria set by your local council. Apply Now to find out, you might be surprised!

WHAT WORKS ARE COVERED BY THE GRANT?

Grants are available for the installation of 1st time central heating systems; boiler upgrades to air source heat pumps; loft, solid and cavity wall insulation; solar PV and electric storage heaters.. This covers the materials, labour and warranty of the system. We install high quality products including Trianco (or equivalent) Air Source Heat Pumps etc.

The recommendations regarding the appropriate measures for your property, if any, are at the sole discretion of HEAT Essex.

Grant Eligibility does not confirm that any energy efficiency works will be viable or possible.

I HAVE NO HEATING AT ALL, DO YOU OFFER GRANTS FOR CENTRAL HEATING?

Yes, subject to survey and eligibility we may be able to provide a 1st time central heating system, but grants are limited so Apply Now.

The grant process takes time - so we are unable to offer an emergency service if your heating is broken.

I AM A TENANT/LANDLORD, CAN I APPLY?

Yes! Grants are also available for private tenants, social housing tenants and landlords can also apply subject to the tenant / property meeting the eligibility criteria.

Open to Owners, Landlords and Tenants - subject to Energy Performance Certificate Rating, eligibility, technical survey and works required.

WHAT PAPERWORK WILL I NEED TO PROVIDE?

If you receive benefits, we may ask to see evidence of this, if you do not receive benefits, we will ask for details of your gross annual household income*. As part of the grant scheme, we may also ask for further information such as whether anyone living in your home suffers from a cold related illness and ask to see a copy of a council tax or utility bill.

*If you are not in receipt of an eligible benefit we will need evidence of total household income provided by copies of bank statements, payslips etc. This is a requirement of our funders.

WHAT IF MY BUILDING IS LISTED OR IN A CONSERVATION AREA?

…This should not make too much difference!

It is nevertheless a separate process which HEAT Essex can assist you with. Some measures, like the installation of loft insulation are unlikely to require any formal consent unless we are required to install ventilation Our surveyors will be able to provide guidance on this.

Nevertheless, an application for Listed Building Consent will be required for the installation of new central heating systems, Solar PV etc. Cavity wall insulation is not really applicable to listed buildings as they are generally constructed with solid walls. The installation of insulation to the inside or outside face of an external wall would also require listed building consent but this is unlikely to be considered favourably as this would alter the special architectural and/or historic merit of the building to an unacceptable degree.

An air tightness test will need to be performed on all properties falling into this category.

It is important that owners’ permission is granted before any works commence as any liability for “unauthorised” work rests with the owner. It is worth remembering that it is a criminal offence to carry out “unauthorised work” (i.e. without listed building consent) to a listed building. (This includes internal alterations.)

WHO ARE HEAT ESSEX?

The Heat Project have been giving grants to help people save money and stay warm since 1997. Heat Essex is managed by carbon and energy saving experts Happy Energy Solutions Ltd. in collaboration with Essex County Council.

HOW LONG DOES A HOME ENERGY ASSESSMENT TAKE?

In order to claim the grant, we need to undertake a free assessment / survey of your home which takes around 3-4 hours to complete. As part of this, we will need access into all rooms and the loft to take photos of all / any existing heating equipment and insulation levels. We may also ask to see any required paperwork to take copies. This is a requirements of our energy funders.

Undertaking a survey does not imply that we will be able to provide a grant for energy efficiency measures.

All grants provided are at the sole discretion of Happy Energy Solutions Ltd.

WILL I DEFINITELY RECEIVE A GRANT?

The grant eligibility process can be complex, and whilst HEAT Essex wish to provide as many residents with an energy efficiency grant as possible, the requirements of our funders mean that even if you are eligible there may be no viable works that we can offer a grant for.

Submitting an application; confirmation of your eligibility for a grant; undertaking a survey etc. do not imply that we will be able to provide a grant for energy efficiency measures.

All grants provided are at the sole discretion of Happy Energy Solutions Ltd. as managers of our funding.

HOW IS MY DATA USED?

We will need to share your data with other organisations to enable us to offer you this grant. This may include your local Council, a Distribution Network, an energy supplier, Ofgem, the Government, companies involved in installing or checking the works and it may also include the Department of Work and Pensions to confirm if you or someone living in your home is on eligible benefits. By applying for the grant you agree that we may share your data for these purposes.

Copies or our Privacy Notices are available here