Free insulation: Peterborough homes could get Government funding to improve energy efficiency

With energy costs soaring we are all looking for ways to ensure our homes are heated efficiently – but did you know you could be eligible for free insulation measures to help keep your home warm and help cut heating bills?

Eco Target is a company working in the Peterborough area, working on behalf of big energy providers in the UK to administer Government money set aside to make homes more energy efficient. Ofgem funds the scheme which is called ECO4 - the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and it’s number 4 because this is the 4th phase.

It is fully funded, so completely free to those who qualify and they will pay nothing towards it. You could be a homeowner, a private renter, in a housing association home, on benefits, working, in a house or a flat – there is nothing to stop anyone applying.

Unless your home is brand new, the chances are it could probably be better insulated, and if less heat was escaping through the roof or walls, and less cold air was getting in, the less energy it would take to keep the house warm – and that could really lower your bills!

It’s easy to find out if you qualify – just one text or email and Eco Target will do all the research for you.

We asked them to explain how it all works.

Who qualifies?

Each property and each person’s circumstances are different. That’s why Eco Target encourages anyone to apply if they think they might be eligible. They cover the greater Peterborough area – around a 20 mile radius from Peterborough centre.

If you or your home doesn’t qualify, they’ll let you know as soon as possible but if you may qualify they’ll take it to the next step.

The main target for the funding is people in fuel poverty, on low incomes or on certain benefits, including someone in the house being in receipt of: Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credits, Child Tax Credits, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (income based), Pension Credit Guarantee, Pension Credit Savings.

Qualifying also depends on the eligibility of your property (what it needs to make it better insulated) and what it’s EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating is.

EPC ratings currently go from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) – Eco Target focuses on the lower rated, energy inefficient properties and looks to improve their rating as much as possible through multiple insulation methods. You don’t have to know your EPC rating – Eco Target can find that out.

If someone is not in receipt of any of those benefits, Eco Target can go through Local Authority Flexible Funding – it has just partnered with Peterborough Council to help people through several other qualifying avenues such as: If they’re medically vulnerable, annual household income is under £31,000 and deemed ‘fuel poor’ by paying a high proportion of their income on energy bills or if the property has a low EPC rating with an inefficient heating system.

Why insulate?

The UK housing stock is some of the most poorly insulated in Europe – insulating homes more adequately goes a long way in helping to achieve this all whilst improving the condition of the property, adding value and providing a more comfortable living environment.

Measures that Eco Target currently install are: external wall insulation, loft insulation, underfloor insulation, flat roof insulation, cavity wall insulation, solar panels, boiler replacements and electric storage heater upgrades.

Eco Target have partnered with several boroughs previously and installed at over 1000 properties, privately owned or rented, and they’ve also worked with Housing Associations.

How does it work?

The utility companies have targets to work towards net carbon reduction goals.

Eco Target gets direct funding from the energy companies to insulate the properties of eligible customers.

Once you make an initial inquiry – by text, email or by filling in an online application form, someone from Eco Target will contact you to find out more about your eligibility and about the property and what they might be able to do – this will be over the phone with a real person from Eco Target. The next stage would be a physical assessment of your property, this means someone coming to look at your home and spending about an hour to an hour and a half checking its insulation and energy efficiency. They’ll also take photos and measurements.

If you qualify, arrangements will be made for the work to be done.

What do I need to do?

If you are interested in finding out whether you qualify for free work to make your home warmer and more energy efficient simply text or email us or fill out an online application form.

Go online here: https://ecotarget.co.uk/