Latest news with #WarmHomes
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Scam warning over government energy-saving grant
People hoping to get free energy-saving upgrades to their homes as part of a government scheme could be targeted by scammers, councillors have warned. Bradford Council has been awarded more than £7m as part of the Warm Homes fund to improve energy efficiency in some of the district's poorest insulated homes. However, concerns have been raised that householders could fall victim to rogue companies posing as official council contractors. Kamran Hussain, the council's spokesman for neighbourhoods and community safety, urged the council officers to "make sure safeguarding is put in place so that these companies are not scamming customers". "Over the years, we have found that many people have been stung through grants that have been implied as coming through the council," Hussain said at a meeting. He said work had in fact been carried out by private companies that were not part of government funding, leading to a "very large bill". Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of the council, said: "If a householder is asked to pay something, it is not a council scheme." She said the council should give out clear information about the programme to ensure residents are not misled. Council officers said the local authority would directly manage the scheme, selecting a single contractor to do the work through official processes. Bradford Council had applied for £27 million from the Government's new Warm Homes scheme but, despite receiving less than requested, it still secured the largest grant awarded to any single council. The authority hopes the project will mirror the success of a previous scheme, which upgraded 635 homes in Bradford with roof and underfloor insulation in 2022 and 2023, and was praised by government officials as a model project. Sarah Ferriby, the council's executive member for healthy people and places, said: "The work will make these homes a lot more comfortable, reduce their fuel bills, and assist in reducing carbon emissions." The scheme will roll out over the next three years, with additional funding potentially available if Bradford exceeds its delivery targets. The funding comes from a £500m national pot for energy performance upgrades and better heating for people living in some of the worst quality privately owned and rented homes. The free work could include new insulation, solar panels or an air source heat pump if suitable. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Warning after trader pretends to be council worker Residents warned over 'real menace' rogue traders
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Scam warning over government energy-saving grant
People hoping to get free energy-saving upgrades to their homes as part of a government scheme could be targeted by scammers, councillors have warned. Bradford Council has been awarded more than £7m as part of the Warm Homes fund to improve energy efficiency in some of the district's poorest insulated homes. However, concerns have been raised that householders could fall victim to rogue companies posing as official council contractors. Kamran Hussain, the council's spokesman for neighbourhoods and community safety, urged the council officers to "make sure safeguarding is put in place so that these companies are not scamming customers". "Over the years, we have found that many people have been stung through grants that have been implied as coming through the council," Hussain said at a meeting. He said work had in fact been carried out by private companies that were not part of government funding, leading to a "very large bill". Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of the council, said: "If a householder is asked to pay something, it is not a council scheme." She said the council should give out clear information about the programme to ensure residents are not misled. Council officers said the local authority would directly manage the scheme, selecting a single contractor to do the work through official processes. Bradford Council had applied for £27 million from the Government's new Warm Homes scheme but, despite receiving less than requested, it still secured the largest grant awarded to any single council. The authority hopes the project will mirror the success of a previous scheme, which upgraded 635 homes in Bradford with roof and underfloor insulation in 2022 and 2023, and was praised by government officials as a model project. Sarah Ferriby, the council's executive member for healthy people and places, said: "The work will make these homes a lot more comfortable, reduce their fuel bills, and assist in reducing carbon emissions." The scheme will roll out over the next three years, with additional funding potentially available if Bradford exceeds its delivery targets. The funding comes from a £500m national pot for energy performance upgrades and better heating for people living in some of the worst quality privately owned and rented homes. The free work could include new insulation, solar panels or an air source heat pump if suitable. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Warning after trader pretends to be council worker Residents warned over 'real menace' rogue traders
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Bradford scam warning over government energy-saving grant
People hoping to get free energy-saving upgrades to their homes as part of a government scheme could be targeted by scammers, councillors have Council has been awarded more than £7m as part of the Warm Homes fund to improve energy efficiency in some of the district's poorest insulated concerns have been raised that householders could fall victim to rogue companies posing as official council Hussain, the council's spokesman for neighbourhoods and community safety, urged the council officers to "make sure safeguarding is put in place so that these companies are not scamming customers". "Over the years, we have found that many people have been stung through grants that have been implied as coming through the council," Hussain said at a said work had in fact been carried out by private companies that were not part of government funding, leading to a "very large bill". Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of the council, said: "If a householder is asked to pay something, it is not a council scheme."She said the council should give out clear information about the programme to ensure residents are not officers said the local authority would directly manage the scheme, selecting a single contractor to do the work through official Council had applied for £27 million from the Government's new Warm Homes scheme but, despite receiving less than requested, it still secured the largest grant awarded to any single authority hopes the project will mirror the success of a previous scheme, which upgraded 635 homes in Bradford with roof and underfloor insulation in 2022 and 2023, and was praised by government officials as a model Ferriby, the council's executive member for healthy people and places, said: "The work will make these homes a lot more comfortable, reduce their fuel bills, and assist in reducing carbon emissions."The scheme will roll out over the next three years, with additional funding potentially available if Bradford exceeds its delivery funding comes from a £500m national pot for energy performance upgrades and better heating for people living in some of the worst quality privately owned and rented homes. The free work could include new insulation, solar panels or an air source heat pump if suitable. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Welsh Government slammed over energy efficiency rollout that 'could take 135 years'
Welsh Government investment in its Warm Homes programme is nowhere near what is required to tackle fuel poverty, according to a Senedd committee. Improving the energy efficiency of all fuel-poor households in Wales would take well over a century at the current rate, the equality and social justice committee inquiry has heard. While energy costs have risen to unprecedented levels, real-terms spending on the Warm Homes programme has remained broadly flat since 2021. The initiative includes schemes to install insulation and low-carbon heating solutions like solar panels. In its report, 'Turning up the Heat', the committee calls for the Welsh Government to commit to ensuring any extra funding that becomes available goes towards tackling fuel poverty. Its chairwoman Jenny Rathbone, a Labour MS, said: 'The cost of energy from fossil fuels keep rising, which makes the need to tackle fuel poverty imperative. Frustratingly, this has not been reflected in the Welsh Government's efforts, leaving a devastating impact on those who can least afford it. READ MORE: Woman drowned in sea after getting bad news READ MORE: Police issue update after five-year-old boy on scooter goes missing "Instead we've seen a pattern of delays and missed deadlines. It is hard to disagree with the experts: the level of investment in the Warm Homes programme is nowhere near what is required to match the scale of the challenge of ending fuel poverty.' Written evidence to the committee highlighted the Welsh Government's expectation that roughly 11,500 homes would receive adaptations over a seven-year period. At that pace, work to reach all fuel poor households in Wales would not be completed before the year 2160. The report recommends the Welsh Government commits to investing any additional funding — including any underspends or Barnet consequential arising from UK Government funding towards tackling fuel poverty in England — in the Warm Homes programme. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
BBC News
19-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
£7m grant to tackle fuel poverty in Stoke-on-Trent
Funding is set to become available to help people facing fuel poverty. Stoke-on-Trent City Council will receive a grant of up to £7m from the government to help pay for energy efficiency improvements for homeowners and private tenants who find themselves struggling to heat their homes. The improvements include installing wall and loft insulation, solar panelling and heating systems which will make homes warmer and reduce energy authority said latest figures showed 24.7% of households in the city faced fuel poverty, compared to the national average of 13.1%. "Everybody deserves the right to live in a safe and warm home and we are already making significant improvements to council-owned homes to ensure this is the case for all our residents, councillor Chris Robinson improvements, which would most likely be implemented from June, are expected to reduce energy bills, raise housing standards and reduce carbon city council's cabinet is set to agree to accept the funding from the government's Warm Homes scheme at a meeting on 25 February. The authority will then find out exactly how much it has been awarded from government before releasing information on how to apply for funding. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
