£10.5 million scheme launches to help Staffordshire residents heat their homes for less

The Staffordshire Warmer Homes scheme – run by Staffordshire County Council in partnership with district and borough councils and backed by government funding – provides free insulation to residents struggling to pay their fuel bills in the cost of living crisis.

The initiative focuses on installing green energy solutions into homes which are off-gas or do not use gas as their main heating source.

This includes solar panels, air source heat pumps, external wall insulation, underfloor heating, and other insulation measures.

Alan and Sheila Deane, from Lichfield, have benefitted from having solar panels installed as part of the scheme in 2022.

Alan said: “We are so pleased we saw this scheme advertised on Facebook. We never thought for a minute that we were qualified but we applied anyway and we found, in the summer months, we were actually exporting more to the National Grid that we were using.

“The online form is so easy to fill in and, very quickly, Staffordshire County Council got in touch and sent an assessor round and that was just to make sure that the house was suitable for solar panels. That was all they had to do really.

“I would advise anyone to apply whether they think they qualify or not.”

Since 2019, the initiative has installed over 1,300 new heating solutions into more than 1,000 homes.

Over 92 per cent of these homes have increased the property's energy efficiency, saving residents money on their home heating bills.

Cabinet member for environment, infrastructure and climate change at SCC, Simon Tagg, said: “As a county council, we are making good on our promise to make Staffordshire more sustainable by offering free energy efficient and renewable heating solutions to residents who need them most.

“The Staffordshire Warmer Homes scheme will really help to keep our residents warm, reduce their carbon footprint and save them some money in these challenging times.”

Eligible residents will receive eco-friendly solutions to heat their homes, completely free of charge.

To be able to receive the heating solution, households must have an income of less than £31,000 per year or claim a means tested benefit, and it needs to be off gas.

Please note that, under the current project, households will only be eligible for solar panels alongside other insulation measures.

Learn more about the Staffordshire Warmer Homes scheme or apply online at staffordshirewarmerhomes.co.uk

Staffordshire County Council’s Here To Help campaign focuses on sharing information, advice and support to help residents manage cost-of-living pressures.

For more information about how to get help with energy bills, visit the county council’s dedicated cost of living support website.