Make your home more energy efficient

Many energy-efficiency upgrades are designed to reduce the amount of energy your home uses to operate day to day—helping to shrink your bills. 

Some upgrades reduce the amount of heat that ‘leaks’ in or out of a building. This heat leakage can be tackled by insulating a property’s floors, walls, roof, loft, or by installing more efficient doors and windows. This means that you can maintain a more comfortable temperature indoors, without having to use as much energy in your home to heat it (in winter) or cool it (in summer). 

If you tend to use power to keep your home cool in the summer (for example, by using air conditioning or electric fans) then installing solar control film, external shutters, or other shading measures could also help your home keep stay cooler for longer and use less energy. 

Older lighting and electrical appliances/devices (including washing machines, dishwashers, and more) tend to use more energy to run than modern versions. Replacing them with more efficient models and light bulbs will also help you save energy. 

Some energy-efficiency upgrades are designed to help a building maintain a comfortable temperature indoors, reducing the chance of experiencing cold and damp in the winter, and making it less likely to overheat in the summer. 

They can do this by reducing the amount of hot air that ‘leaks’ in or out of a building. This heat leakage can be tackled by insulating a property’s floors, walls, roof, loft, or by installing more efficient doors and windows. 

Alternatively, they can do this by reducing the amount of heat that your home absorbs from the sun’s energy through the windows or walls. Installing solar control film, external shutters, or other shading measures could help your home keep stay cooler for longer on hot days and use less energy. 

In addition to reducing the amount of hot air that ‘leaks’ in or out of a building, improving the insulation of your home can also reduce the amount of noise that travels through the walls, floors, doors, and windows of your property from other rooms and the outside. 

Some energy-efficiency upgrades can help you pay a lower cost—or no cost at all—for the heat and electricity that you use. 

Once installed, solar panels generate free electricity whenever the sun shines which you could use to power devices and appliances instead of buying energy from your electricity provider. The savings can be especially significant if you combine solar power with an electric heat pump system to keep your home warm. 

If your property is in a building connected to the Leeds PIPES district heating network, but your home has not yet been set up to receive heat from it, then you could save money by doing so. 

You may also be able to pay less for the energy you use with a time-of-use energy tariff, which charges a lower rate for electricity outside of peak hours by reading your smart electricity meter. 

If you have installed solar panels or another renewable energy technology on your property then you can sell any electricity you do not use back to your energy provider for money off your bills. Alternatively, you can store the free electricity you generate for later with a home battery. 

As well as often being less efficient and more expensive to use, gas cookers and gas boilers also create harmful air pollution as a by-product, which can have serious effects on our health. Unlike gas, it is impossible for low carbon heating technologies (such as electric heat pumps or district heating) to emit carbon monoxide—an extremely dangerous type of air pollution which we cannot smell or taste. 

The energy that we use to heat and power our homes is typically one of the main ways that our actions and lifestyle contribute to global climate change. By making your home more energy efficient, or by switching to low carbon heating and cooking technologies, you can significantly reduce your household’s carbon footprint and help stop global warming. 

If your property does not use a gas boiler as the main source of heating, you may be eligible to receive free or subsidised energy-saving measures through the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) scheme. 

This government-funded scheme is administered locally by Leeds City Council, in partnership with regional installers. 

You could receive one or more measures including insulation, electric heat pumps, or electric radiators. However, the exact measures available vary on a case-by-case basis. 

If your eligibility is confirmed, we will also check whether you qualify for additional or alternative financial support from another scheme. We will explain what you could get and help you decide on the right improvements for your home. 

You can check whether you are eligible for this scheme and apply to find out more at the link below. 

Find out whether you are eligible for the HUG scheme. 

If you are confirmed eligible for this support then your details will be shared with the council and our trusted contractor, Everwarm Ltd. Once we have your information, we will get in touch to let you know what happens next. 

Alternatively, give Everwarm Ltd a call on 0800 197 7755 and let them know that you are eligible for this scheme so that we can progress your application faster. 

Answers to some frequently asked questions about the scheme can be found on the Everwarm website.  

The Home Upgrade Grant scheme is due to close to new applications at the end of 2024. Please apply by 13 December 2024, otherwise we will not be able to guarantee that your application will be processed in time 

If your property uses a gas boiler as the main source of heating, you may be eligible to receive free or subsidised energy-efficiency measures through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme or the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS). 

These government-backed schemes are administered by your energy supplier, in partnership with vetted installers. 

You could receive one or more measures including insulation, heating controls, or a new boiler. However, the exact measures available vary on a case-by-case basis, depending on a range of factors. 

ECO is similar to the Great British Insulation Scheme but offers more flexible and generous support. To qualify for the ECO scheme, someone that lives in an eligible property will need to receive one or more qualifying benefits. 

You can check your eligibility for both schemes, and apply to find out more, at the link below. 

Find out whether you are eligible for the ECO or GBIS schemes. 

If you are aged 60 years or over and have less than £16,000 in savings then you may be eligible to receive small energy-efficiency and heating upgrades for free through the Home Plus Leeds scheme. You will also need to have a total household income of less than £30,000 per year. 

Even if you live in a relatively efficient home already, or you have benefited from funded measures through another scheme, you may still qualify for work through the Home Plus Leeds scheme. 

You will need to call the Home Plus Leeds team on 0113 240 6009 to find out if you are eligible and apply to the scheme. 

Find out more about the Home Plus Leeds scheme online. 

If you have a disability or you are diagnosed with a long-term respiratory, cardiac, or mental health condition, then you may be eligible to receive small energy-efficiency and heating upgrades for free through the Home Plus Leeds scheme. 

You will also need to have a total household income of less than £30,000 per year and have less than £16,000 in savings. 

Even if you live in a relatively efficient home already, or you have benefited from funded measures through another scheme, you may still qualify for work through the Home Plus Leeds scheme. 

You will need to call the Home Plus Leeds team on 0113 240 6009 to find out if you are eligible and apply to the scheme. 

Find out more about the Home Plus Leeds scheme online. 

If you live with children under 18, then you may be eligible to receive small energy-efficiency and heating upgrades for free through the Home Plus Leeds scheme. 

You will also need to have a total household income of less than £30,000 per year and have less than £16,000 in savings. 

Even if you live in a relatively efficient home already, or you have benefited from funded measures through another scheme, you may still qualify for work through the Home Plus Leeds scheme. 

You will need to call the Home Plus Leeds team on 0113 240 6009 to find out if you are eligible and apply to the scheme. 

Find out more about the Home Plus Leeds scheme online. 

If you live on your own and earn less than £30,000, then you may be eligible to receive small energy-efficiency and heating upgrades for free through the Home Plus Leeds scheme. 

Even if you live in a relatively efficient home already, or you have benefited from funded measures through another scheme, you may still qualify for work through the Home Plus Leeds scheme. 

To find out if you are eligible and apply to the scheme, you will need to call the Home Plus Leeds team on 0113 240 6009. 

Find out more about the Home Plus Leeds scheme online. 

If you are looking to replace an oil, gas, or inefficient electric heating system with an electric heat pump or biomass boiler in a property you own, then you may be able to receive a discount worth up to £7,500 from the UK Government through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. This discount could mean that installing a low carbon electric heat pump is cheaper than installing a replacement gas boiler. 

Even if you live in a relatively efficient home already, or you have benefited from funded measures through another scheme, you may still qualify for the discount. 

Find out more about the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. 

If the financial support currently available is not right for you, but you are still interested in installing energy-saving upgrades, then you may want to consider using cash savings, pension savings, or a financial product. 

Depending on your individual circumstances, you could save more over the long-term than work costs to install. 

Upgrading your home’s energy-efficiency could be a significant financial decision. You may find it helpful to access free financial guidance, or to pay for professional financial advice, to help inform your decision. 

Find out more about getting financial advice and guidance.