Low-income households in Cumbria are eligible for a free grant of up to £25,000 to improve their energy efficiency as part of a new scheme.

Approved by all 6 district and borough councils across Cumbria, the Sustainable Warmth Fund Cumbria will help people install new energy efficient products into their homes to help keep their houses warmer and lower their energy bills at a time of steeply rising costs.

The funding is going to target owner occupied and privately tenanted low-income homes and houses with an energy performance certificate rating of E, F and G.

It is hoped that the fund will also help aid the local economy with over 1000 homes to benefit from the new scheme.

Measures that will be funded by the grant include both external and internal wall insulation, roof insulation, air source heat pumps, smart heating controls and updating windows from single glazing to double glazing

In order to be eligible for the grant households must have a combined income of less the £30,000 or less than £38,000 for larger households depending on your local authority and your rent or mortgage costs.

The funding comes as part of former chancellor and current Conservative party leadership contender Rishi Sunak’s £2 billion green homes grant scheme first started in 2020.

As part of Rishi Sunak’s plan £500 million was allocated to local authorities as part of the local authority delivery scheme also founded in 2020.

The green homes grant scheme is a key part of the government’s commitment to making the country a ‘net-zero’ carbon emitter by 2050.

Alok Sharma MP, the president of the COP 26 climate summit, said ‘‘What [the scheme] ultimately means is lower bills for households, hundreds of pounds off energy bills every year, it's supporting jobs and is very good news for the environment."

Each Cumbrian district will be writing to those households and families who may be eligible for the grant which will see local residents receive between £10,000 and £25,000.

Private landlords are also eligible for up to £5,000 subject to a contribution of a third of the cost of the improvement measures.

If you have received a letter from the council or are interested in the scheme, get in contact with your local council or fill in the sustainable warmth application form online.

https://www.carlisle.gov.uk/Residents/Housing-and-Homeless/HomeLife