Grant funding for home energy efficiency improvements
Warm Homes: Local Grant
Warm Homes: Local Grant is a UK government programme that helps low-income households in England improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
We expect this grant scheme to launch late summer 2025. However, we are encouraging residents who meet the eligibility criteria below to contact our partners, Marches Energy Agency (MEA), to register their interest:
Applying for grant funding
For further advice or to apply, please contact MEA’s local team (Warmer Derby and Derbyshire):
- call 0800 677 1332 lines open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
- email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Application form (online)
Please note that registering your interest does not guarantee that you will receive funding. All works are subject to household eligibility, funding availability, and property surveys.
Am I eligible?
You are likely to qualify if you meet ALL the following criteria:
- you are an owner-occupier or are a private landlord1
- your property has a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D, E, F or G2
And one of the following statements:
- Route 1: you live in one of the eligible postcode areas set by central Government3
- Route 2: a permanent member of your household receives a means tested benefit
- Route 3: your combined household income is below £36,000 before tax
1Landlords will only be able to apply for full funding for one of the properties that they let. A 50% cost contribution will be required from the private landlord for any additional homes upgraded after the first. If you live in privately rented accommodation and think your home may be eligible, please speak to your landlord.
2You can check your EPC online at Gov.uk. If you are unsure or your home does not have an EPC, you still are able to apply as a rating will be generated as part of the process for free.
3Households which reside within Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) Income Deciles (ID) 1-2 areas. Eligible postcode areas are set by central government and not Derbyshire Dales District Council.
More information
Work will be completed by a Trustmark registered installer, and overseen by the Council.
Read our case studies of residents in the Derbyshire Dales who have benefitted from funding in previous rounds of the HUG (Home Upgrade Grant) retrofit scheme.
Home energy efficiency advice
The Energy Saving Trust provide up to date and useful advice about how to save energy around your home including tips on reducing heat losses through draught proofing and insulation.
The government provides a service that makes recommendations for home improvements that could make your property cheaper to heat and keep warm.
For each recommendation you can see an estimated cost of making the improvement, how much you could save on your bills and next steps if you want to make the improvement
The government Help for households campaign provides details of the full range of financial support currently available.
Connected for Warmth offer Free Air Source Heat Pumps to households that don’t currently have a central heating system (properties with LPG and Oil boilers over 5 years old could also qualify), if your circumstances make you eligible - you must meet all three of the eligibility criteria to qualify.
Open to both property owners and landlords, funding is available on a first come first served basis.
Connected for Warmth is an awarding-winning programme, managed by AgilityEco in partnership with Affordable Warmth Solutions, and funded by National Grid.
To find out more visit the Connected for Warmth website or call 0800 995 6564 to register your interest for the Air Source Heat Pump scheme.
Derbyshire Dales District Council is supportive of this scheme.
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a government energy efficiency scheme designed to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce carbon emissions.
The ECO scheme works by placing an obligation on medium and large energy suppliers. Obligated suppliers must promote measures that improve the ability of low-income, fuel-poor and vulnerable households to heat their homes.
In order to benefit from ECO funding your property will need to require energy efficiency upgrades. The specific measures that would benefit your home would be determined by a retrofit assessment. You must own your own home or have permission from your landlord, including if the property is owned by a social housing provider or management company.
The Council does not administer the ECO scheme.
Local Authority ECO Flex declarations are issued by Derbyshire County Council under our statement of intent. The statement sets out our flexible eligibility criteria for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme from April 2022 to March 2026. Neither Council endorses any ECO contractors or is involved in managing the progress or quality of any work.
Home 'retrofit'
Doing more complex works to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes is sometimes referred to as 'retrofit'. Put simply this is the process of making changes to existing buildings so that energy consumption and emissions are reduced. Done properly improvements should lead to a more comfortable, healthier home - ideally with reduced fuel bills.
Making energy efficiency improvements can be complicated, particularly in older properties like many of those in the Derbyshire Dales. Getting the right advice and work done to a high quality standard is key.
The Government endorsed Trustmark website can provide links to competent skilled tradespeople to carry out home energy efficiency improvement work.
Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) Hub provides tailored, step-by-step Home Energy Plans to help improve the energy efficiency of ‘hard-to-treat’ homes. They can help you understand which energy upgrades are suitable for your home, what the installation process entails and to build your confidence and knowledge around costs and savings. Their support is completely free and open to homeowners within Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. They also provide a range of useful resources and case studies.
If you are considering making changes to your home and unsure whether you will require planning permission you are encouraged to seek pre application advice from the relevant planning authority. The planning portal gives general advice on common projects such as installing solar PV panels or heat pumps.
You can use free online tools like Solar Wizard to help you decide if Solar Panels are a good investment for your property.
Staying warm and well
The District Council works with partners to reduce fuel poverty, improve the energy efficiency of homes across the Dales and to help fight the effects of climate change. Being an active member of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Local Authorities' Energy Partnership, helps to ensure that we work effectively towards our goals.
The District Council works with Marches Energy Agency, Derbyshire County Council and local GPs to identify those people who live in energy inefficient houses, who find it difficult to afford to improve their homes and who suffer from chronic health problems associated with living in cold conditions.
You can access free advice and help on staying warm & well at home through our FREE helpline 0800 667 1332 or by emailing
You can call for advice about:
- energy bills
- switching tariff
- how to make your home more energy efficient
- how to apply for grants for heating systems and insulation
The Warmer Derby & Derbyshire service is a partnership between Marches Energy Agency charity and the Local Authority Energy Partnership (LAEP) - which includes both ourselves and all other Derbyshire councils.
The advice line is being funded using a grant of around £70,000 from the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme. It's managed by The Energy Saving Trust on behalf of the Government's gas and electricity regulator, Ofgem, to distribute payments from energy companies who may have breached rules.
If you have a health condition that is made worse by the cold and you struggle to afford to heat your home, the Healthy Homes Project may be able to help or can direct you to other sources of support: 01629 536919.
Living in a privately rented home
If you live in a privately rented home Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations may apply. This means that the property should have a minimum EPC Band E rating.
The District Council’s Environmental Health Team is in contact with all private landlords within the Derbyshire Dales whose rented properties fail to meet the minimum standard as well as those landlords who haven’t yet commissioned an EPC. Officers will offer landlords the guidance and support they need to achieve EPC Band E or above, and, in circumstances where this can’t be achieved, support landlords who may be eligible to lodge an exemption.
For advice on the Minimum Energy Efficiency Regulations, as a tenant or to understand your responsibilities as a landlord to meet the requirements please contact Environmental Health at
Living in a Platform Housing Group property
Platform Housing Group are committed to improving the energy efficiency of their housing stock and have a long-term plan to ensure all properties are improved to a minimum of an EPC C by 2030.
Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA)
Under the Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA), the UK Government requires all local authorities to publish reports demonstrating what energy conservation measures they have adopted to improve the energy efficiency of residential accommodation within their area.
These reports are currently submitted every two years - with the HECA report 2023 being the latest available.
