Portsmouth City Council has been successful in a bid for a further £6.2 million of grant funding to assist with the installation of energy efficiency measures in up to an additional 900 households across Portsmouth, Gosport and surrounding areas; bolstering projects already being run by the Switched On Portsmouth team.
Portsmouth City Council has been successful in a bid for a further £6.2 million of grant funding to assist with the installation of energy efficiency measures in up to an additional 900 households across Portsmouth, Gosport and surrounding areas; bolstering projects already being run by the Switched On Portsmouth team.
The grant will be able to fully fund solar panel systems on some of the least energy efficient homes across the cities. This is whilst increasing the scale and scope of the existing offer of solid wall insulation and air source heat pumps.
As part of Portsmouth City Council, Switched On Portsmouth will deliver these measures alongside all other household energy efficiency schemes currently made available by the council.
The grant will allow qualifying households to receive energy saving measures for free up to a value of £10,000; with privately rented homes that are suitable for the measures being eligible for 66% of the total cost, to a total of £5,000.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems offer green and free energy generation, which can result in savings of up to £400 a year, whilst saving an average of 400kg of carbon emissions.
The council is working hard to increase the energy saving and fuel poverty mitigation services it offers. In November 2019, it launched the Switched On Portsmouth website and approved a home energy and water efficiency strategy. It successfully offers schemes worth over £18 million.
Commenting upon the announcement of the funding award, Councillor Dave Ashmore, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said, “I am over the moon to be able to announce the award of this funding. Investing in renewable energy generation has been a high priority for the council for a number of years. This offering of free solar systems for qualifying households gives a huge push towards reducing the city’s carbon emissions, whilst making sure the most vulnerable are not left behind”
The scheme is being managed by the council’s long-time partners, Agility Eco, who help to run a number of other schemes for Portsmouth City Council, including the Warmer Homes fund, to which this will be an addition. Agility Eco CEO, Gearoid Lane, welcomed further support in Portsmouth, “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to build on our partnership with Portsmouth City Council to help low income households stay warm and well. Working together over the years we have supported hundreds of households by installing efficient new heating systems, insulating properties to a high standard and providing energy and money-saving advice. This project will ensure Portsmouth continues to lead the way on reducing carbon emissions and eliminating fuel poverty.”
The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has provided the funding. The grant funding comes from the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) scheme; part of a wider energy efficiency budget announced by the Chancellor in July.
The council has previously been successful in securing grant funding for other large energy efficiency measures, home visits, a telephone advice line and free first-time central heating installations.
The scheme is accepting applications now, so please visit https://switchedonportsmouth.co.uk/green-homes-grant-form/ to apply. Funding will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
