The council is supporting the residents and communities of West Suffolk to improve their home energy efficiency and the government has launched a series of funding initiatives to support home insulation and renewable energy installations. Further resources on domestic energy efficiency can be found at: Simple Energy Advice - Green Homes Grant
Sustainable warmth funding
Residents in Suffolk can benefit from free energy efficiency measures including loft, cavity wall and external wall insulation, solar panel systems and air source heat pumps. Eligible households include those with a total annual household income of £30,000 or below and live in a property with an EPC rating of E, F or G. You can find your EPC rating at: GOV.UK - Find an energy certificate
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme launched in spring 2022, providing upfront capital grants to support the installation of heat pumps, and in some cases biomass boilers, in homes.
Acting on behalf of property owners, installers can apply for:
£5,000 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump
£5,000 off the cost and installation of a biomass boiler
£6,000 off the cost of a ground source heat pump, including water source heat pumps.
Since 2018, we have installed solar panel systems in over 1000 households across Suffolk. On average, homeowners have saved 33% on average market price for installation costs and £263 each year on energy bills in addition to reducing harmful carbon emissions entering the atmosphere.
Solar Together Suffolk is an innovative scheme offering high-quality solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and battery storage. It is a group-buying scheme, which brings Suffolk households together to get high-quality solar panels at a competitive price, helping you through the process and keeping you informed at every stage. It is free to register and there is no obligation to purchase.
If you already have solar panels installed you can also register to have battery storage added to your existing solar panels to maximise the benefits of your system.
Solar Together Suffolk in 2022
The Solar Together Suffolk scheme will run again in 2022. This page will be updated when details are confirmed - we will likely be accepting registrations in September.
An initiative to support small scale renewable energy generators where you can be paid for any excess electricity you generate and export to the grid. You can claim the tariff if you have any of the following technologies installed with a capacity of up to 5megawatt (mW), or up to 50kilowatt (kW) for Micro-combined heat and power (CHP):
solar photovoltaic
wind
micro combined heat and power
hydro
anaerobic digestion
The energy suppliers that offer smart export payments are only required to offer you a tariff that is greater than zero therefore the rate each energy company pays is likely to vary. You should compare the tariffs available before agreeing a contract. Furthermore, the tariffs may be fixed or variable similar to your existing electricity tariff, but they are managed separately.
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) requires large energy companies to help improve the energy efficiency of domestic homes by discounting the cost of improvement works. This applies to certain households who are struggling to pay their energy bills and are defined as being in fuel poverty. The Government has now given local authorities the ability to identify vulnerable households in their areas which could benefit from these improvements. The new scheme is called ECO Flexible Eligibility.
Suffolk’s councils have jointly published criteria, in a statement of intent, enabling them to identify households that would benefit from such improvements under ECO flex. Improvements are often fully funded where the household meets particular criteria and is at risk of fuel poverty.
Suffolk’s councils welcome enquiries from energy companies and installers who would like to work with us under the ECO4 scheme. For more information and contact details visit Green Suffolk - ECO Flexible Eligibility Scheme
Suffolk Greener Homes interest free loan
Loans of up to £5,000 at 0% APR to help homes cut their energy use. Loans are available for energy saving measures and are only available for the installation of approved materials and technologies by accredited installers:
solar photovoltaic panels and Solar thermal
air and ground source heat pumps
domestic wind turbine
biomass boiler
loft and floor insulation, cavity wall fill, internal and external solid wall insulation
draught-proofing, double and triple glazing and LED lighting
electric vehicles and charging points
water conservation measures (for example rainwater harvesting)
For more information on loans, visit: Green Suffolk - loans for energy efficiency
