Somerset West hard-to-treat homes
Somerset West hard-to-treat homes
A grant programme to fund improvements to old and cold rural properties
Get 25% of your insulation costs paid for ...
The Somerset West Hard to Treat scheme is a pilot project running in the West Somerset, Sedgemoor and Taunton Deane council areas, funded by the local authorities and managed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy.
The grant helps owner-occupiers make their ‘hard-to-treat’ homes warmer and cheaper to heat. A hard-to-treat home is defined as one where you are unable to improve energy efficiency with lower-cost measures – such as cavity wall insulation – due to the age of the property or nature of its construction. They may also be ‘off-gas,’ relying on expensive heating fuels. For these reasons hard-to-treat homes are often difficult and costly to heat to a comfortable level.
The grant is available on a first come, first served basis to cover the cost of 25% of eligible insulation works, up to a maximum of £2,500 per property. Low income households can apply for a low cost Home Improvement Loan for the remaining 75% of costs.
The grant may be claimed for:
- Solid wall insulation (internal or external)
- Floor insulation
- Complex roof insulation (e.g. beneath rafters, flat roof etc)
After the exterior wall insulation this house will feel warmer and be cheaper to heat. It also looks much smarter. Click on the thumbnails for 'during' and 'before' shots of the same house and a similarly improved property
The scheme aims to be as flexible as possible in terms of how and by whom you get the work done. However, in order to ensure only quality installations are funded through the scheme there are some restrictions.
For example, if you are interested in complex roof insulation you should use somebody who is a member of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, the National Insulation Association or the Federation of Master Builders. Alternatively, if you feel confident at tackling roof, floor or internal wall insulation on a DIY basis, you can claim the grant for 25% of the cost of materials.
If you are interested in applying for the scheme you can either call the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012 and they will make a referral for you, or you can e-mail us at swhtt@cse.org.uk.
On receipt of your referral or e-mail we will send you an information pack. This contains all you need to know about the grant, the various measures and where to find approved installers.
CSE manages Freedom from Fuel Poverty, another solid-wall insulation project in Bath & Northeast Somerset.