The Affordable Warmth Scheme
If you live in an area of high fuel poverty and need help to pay for energy efficiency and heating improvements the ‘Affordable Warmth’ Scheme could help. It provides energy efficiency and heating measures tailored to each household. This scheme is only available if you live in an area being targeted by your local council.
Your council should write to you if it thinks you are eligible to apply for this scheme. If you haven’t received a letter from the council, but think that your property should be included in the scheme, contact your local council and ask to speak to the building control department about the Affordable Warmth Scheme.
Who is eligible?
You can either be renting or own your own home with a gross annual household income less than £20,000. If you rent privately, you’ll need your landlord’s permission before any work can go ahead and your landlord will have to pay 50% of the cost of the work.
Access to Affordable Warmth Scheme
All local councils across Northern Ireland will be targeting households identified as eligible for energy efficiency improvement work under this scheme. Areas considered most in need of energy efficiency measures will be contacted first.
What measures are available?
The maximum amount that will be spent on any one property is £7,500. If your property is selected for solid wall insulation, this can increase to £10,000.
Insulation
| Conditions in Existing Property | Improvement Measures Available |
|---|---|
| No cavity wall insulation | Install cavity wall insulation |
| Ineffective cavity wall insulation | Remove and replace cavity wall insulation |
| No loft insulation or below minimum | Installation or top up of roof space insulation to 270mm |
| No hot water jacket | Install hot water jacket |
| Ineffective or no draught proofing | Draught proof windows/ doors |
Heating
Windows
Solid Walls
If you get a letter about this scheme, fill in the enclosed survey and send it back to the council. The council will send all the responses it receives to the Housing Executive. The Housing Executive will then visit householders to check that they are eligible for the scheme and to inspect their properties to see what work is necessary.
Further information on the Affordable Warmth scheme is available by telephone on 0300 200 7874
Warm Homes Scheme
The Warm Homes and Warm Homes Plus schemes close on 31 March 2016 and have stopped taking new applications. Over the next while it will deliver measures for schemes already registered and received before it stopped taking new applications. In effect the Affordable Warmth Scheme will deliver the similar measures.