Grants and Schemes News: page 20
- November 2022
Second instalment of Cost of Living Payment paid in November 2022
The second instalment of the GBP 650 Cost of Living Payment, worth GBP 324, was paid automatically to most eligible low-income households in November 2022.
West Midlands awarded more than £1m for Warmer Homes West Midlands programme
The West Midlands Combined Authority has awarded more than £1 million to Act on Energy to expand free energy advice for vulnerable households across the region this winter.
Autumn Statement 2022 allocates £1 billion to Household Support Fund
The Government has said local councils will receive £1 billion for the Household Support Fund, announced in the Autumn Statement 2022, as disability charity Scope reports low awareness of the scheme.
BUS digital service passes Government Digital Standards beta assessment
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme's digital service passed its Government Digital Standards beta assessment in November 2022, letting installers make initial voucher applications online.
Chancellor announces additional £6bn for energy efficiency from 2025
The Chancellor's autumn statement added £6bn for energy efficiency from 2025 to 2028, doubling annual government investment, with a new taskforce to deliver a 15% cut in consumption.
ECO insulation delivery reported stalled after internal government delays
Analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit says insulation delivery under the Energy Company Obligation has stalled, with 18,750 low income households potentially missing measures worth £300 each.
Energy Bills Support Scheme to begin in Northern Ireland
Households in Northern Ireland will start receiving the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme payment from November, the Prime Minister said, months after the equivalent support began in Great Britain.
Energy Bills and the Price CapScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Scheme consulted on under the name ECO+
The government consulted on the policy proposals that became the Great British Insulation Scheme under the name ECO+ in November 2022, with Ofgem later named as intended administrator.
Winter Heating Payment regulations to be laid with first payments in February 2023
Scottish ministers will lay Winter Heating Payment regulations in November 2022, bringing them into force in January 2023, with the first guaranteed £50 payments to around 400,000 low-income households in February 2023.
- October 2022
£1.2 million support package announced for consumer-facing advice services
The Scottish Government has announced a £1.2 million package of support for consumer-facing advice services, published alongside its 2022 update on progress against the Heat in Buildings Strategy.
Chancellor statement sets end date for energy support schemes
The Chancellor's 17 October statement confirmed the Energy Price Guarantee, Energy Bills Support Scheme and Energy Bill Relief Scheme end in their current form on 31 March 2023, pending a review.
Heat Pump Ready Programme: Stream 1, Phase 2 page first published
The government published guidance for the second phase of its Heat Pump Ready Programme competition, restricted to projects already contracted under phase one, with applications closing on 7 November 2022.
ECO4 Delivery Guidance version 1.0 published
Ofgem published version 1.0 of the ECO4 Delivery Guidance and Measures Table on 11 and 14 October 2022, setting the eligibility, project and evidence rules for the scheme's first year.
Guidance updated with delivery, funding and definitions clarifications
The government has updated its guidance for the closed Sustainable Warmth Competition, clarifying delivery, timescales, grant funding, eligible homes and costs, and adding a definitions section.
Scam texts impersonate the Energy Bills Support Scheme as the £400 grant rolls out
Which? has reported scam texts that impersonate the Energy Bills Support Scheme, telling recipients they are eligible for a discounted bill and linking to a fake application site as the £400 grant is paid out.
£200 energy bill reduction to begin in October 2022
A £200 reduction in energy bills for most households in Great Britain was set to begin in October 2022 under the Energy Bills Support Scheme, alongside wider measures to cut reliance on imported gas.
Energyworks grants capped due to unprecedented demand
Energyworks grants in Brighton and Hove were capped in October 2022 after unprecedented demand, with later funding from UK Power Networks topping up existing awards and paying for 174 new £200 grants.
Government decides to go ahead with doubling the ECO scheme
The Government has decided to double the Energy Company Obligation, an industry-designed scheme, as analysis shows poorly insulated homes cost about £1,000 a year more to heat than band C homes.
HES loans and cashback scheme to be relaunched by Autumn 2022
The Scottish Government has confirmed that its successor to the Home Energy Scotland loans and cashback scheme will relaunch in Autumn 2022, with applicants required to use TrustMark or MCS approved suppliers.
Ofgem publishes ECO4 delivery guidance
Ofgem has published version 1 of its ECO4 delivery guidance, setting out the minimum requirements, exemptions, scoring rules and scheme interactions that govern how energy suppliers deliver the obligation.
Warm Home Discount to increase to £150 in October
The Warm Home Discount rises from £140 to £150 in October 2022 and its eligibility expands by almost a third, to reach three million households.
Winter Heating Payment replaced Cold Weather Payments in Scotland
The Winter Heating Payment replaced the Cold Weather Payment in Scotland from winter 2022/23, ending DWP cold weather payments to Scottish claimants and paying a flat annual sum instead.
- September 2022
Cost of Living Support Scheme closed
The Welsh Government's £150 Cost of Living Support Scheme closed on 30 September 2022, ending payments for retrospective and new-build council tax banding cases and the window for registration responses.
Reconciliation deadline for rebate payments
Councils in England had to complete all Council Tax Rebate payments within the reconciliation process by 30 September 2022, with unspent discretionary funding repayable after 30 November.
Home Upgrade Grant: Phase 2 guidance first published
The Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 guidance for local authorities was first published on GOV.UK on 29 September 2022, setting out £630 million for off gas grid homes in England.
SHDF Wave 2.1 and HUG Phase 2 open for applications
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 and Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 opened for applications on 29 September 2022, under the government's Help to Heat collection of household energy schemes.
Up to £1.5 billion Help to Heat funding launched for SHDF wave 2 and Home Upgrade Grant
The government has opened up to £1.5 billion in Help to Heat funding for social housing providers and local authorities in England to upgrade around 130,000 low-income and social homes.
Welsh Fuel Support scheme opens for applications
The Welsh Fuel Support scheme opened for applications on 26 September 2022, paying eligible households a one-off £200 from their local authority towards winter fuel bills.
Energy Bills and the Price CapScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Energy Bills Support Scheme ministerial direction published
The government has published the ministerial direction that puts the Energy Bills Support Scheme on a legal footing, requiring domestic electricity suppliers to pay the £400 discount to eligible households.
Government announces £2.5bn energy efficiency funding
The government has published how £630m of Home Upgrade Grant money and £780m of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund money will be spent, part of a £2.5bn energy efficiency plan announced last September.