Written by Kate Hallewell
Fuel prices may be rising, but you can still help to conserve energy. The Gwynedd Council offers grants for heating insulation or replacing your old inefficient heater with a new one that follows easy-to-follow rules!
1. What is Local Authority Flexible Energy or LA Flex?
Gwynedd Council has announced a major step towards making things easier for government members by introducing LA Flex, which allows each council to create guidelines about what grants they’re going after. This means less time spent on figuring out the eligibility requirements and more focus can be put into completing applications! So it’s a pretty simple way of saving money on your heating bills–you just need a few minutes reading this article where you’ll get all the information you need!
2. What grants are available?
The types of grants available to residents living in the Gwynedd Council area include:
- Boiler grants
- Cavity wall insulation grants
- External wall insulation grants
- First time central heating grants
- Internal wall insulation grants
- Loft Insulation
- Roof Insulation
- Smart thermostat grants
- Underfloor insulation grants
3. Who is eligible for grants?
Whether you’re an owner, renter or living in a housing association, read on to learn more about what factors may apply to you!
Eligibility
There are 6 ways to qualify for a grant:
1. Receiving a qualifying benefit
2. Receiving Child Benefit and meeting income rules
3. Income-based eligibility (for households that earn less than £31,000 per year)
4. Vulnerable eligibility
5. Health-related eligibility
6. Bespoke targeting
This route to eligibility applies where a member of the household receives or has received a 'qualifying benefit'. If the benefit isn't a current claim (for example for households where they have gone back to work after the pandemic) providing the benefit has been claimed at some point within the last 12 months, the household will still be eligible for a grant.
Qualifying benefits include:
- Child Tax Credit
- Employment & Support Allowance (Income Based) - Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based)
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Pension Credit Savings Credit
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit
Note if you receive any of the following benefits you could qualify later in the scheme (or through the ECO4 Flex routes). We advise anyone claiming the following benefits to register for updates so you are the first to know when these benefits are accepted.
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer's Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- War Pensions Mobility Supplement
If you receive Child Benefit you could be eligible for the scheme but unlike the qualifying benefits above they would need to meet an additional income criteria.
The Child Benefit income criteria depends on the number of children in the household and also whether the claim is a single or joint claim.
The income limits are as follows:
Single parents
1 Child – £19,900
2 Children – £24,800
3 Children – £29,600
4+ Children – £34,500
Parents in a couple
1 Child – £27,500
2 Children – £32,300
3 Children – £37,200
4+ Children – £42,000
(figures updated to Ofgem’s Administration Consultation released on 13 June 2022)
If you are eligible through the Child Benefit route you should apply as soon as you can. The Government's Green Homes Grant excluded Child Benefit recipients so potentially this eligibility route could be removed later in the the scheme.
To be eligible through the income-based route your annual household income will need to be under £31,000. You will need to provide evidence such as bank statements and income information to confirm eligibility.
This is an ECO4 Flex route so it requires the applicants council to have published a Statement of Intent and to issue eligibility declarations.
Vulnerable people can access grants if they meet two of the following criteria (1 & 3 can’t be used together):
1. Lives in a Lower Super Output Area
2. Receives Council Tax Rebate (excluding for single person discounts)
3. Householder has a disability, mental health condition, is over 65, school children or under 16 and pregnant women.
4. Receives free school meals due to a low income
5. Supported by a Council scheme described in a Statement of Intent
6. Households referred by a Citizen’s advice as struggling to pay gas and electricity bills
7. Households in energy debt
A medical practitioner will need to complete a referral form to confirm eligibility.
This is an ECO4 Flex route so it requires the applicants council to have published a Statement of Intent and to issue eligibility declarations.
People with health conditions that are made worse by living in a cold home qualify.
These include:
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Immunosuppressed
- Mobility issues
- Respiratory conditions
A medical practitioner will need to complete a referral form to confirm eligibility.
This is an ECO4 Flex route so it requires the applicants council to have published a Statement of Intent and to issue eligibility declarations.
Installers can target specific groups of people living in fuel poverty. Installers will approach you if your property is eligible through this route.
Gwynedd Council
If you DON'T claim benefits, the criteria for identifying households in fuel poverty in Gwynedd Council are as follows:
Criteria for Gwynedd Council eligible households
Low-Income and High Cost
- The property must have a rating of F or G on an EPC or have a score 15 points greater at the table
- The property must have a rating of E on an EPC or have a score of more than 10 and a maximum of 14 in the table
Vulnerable to Cold
- Aged over 60
- Children under 5 and those in primary and secondary school education or a pregnant mother
- Respiratory disease (COPD, Asthma)
- Cardiovascular disease
- Moderate to severe mental illness
- Substance misusers
- Dementia
- Neurobiological and related diseases
- Cancer
- Limited mobility
- Haemoglobinopathies
- Severe learning disabilities
- Autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases
| LL21 |
| LL23 |
| LL33 |
| LL35 |
| LL36 |
| LL37 |
| LL38 |
| LL39 |
| LL40 |
| LL41 |
| LL42 |
| LL43 |
| LL44 |
| LL45 |
| LL46 |
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| LL49 |
| LL51 |
| LL52 |
| LL53 |
| LL54 |
| LL55 |
| LL56 |
| LL57 |
| LL58 |
| LL59 |
| LL60 |
| LL61 |
| SY20 |
| Llandderfel |
| Bala |
| Llanuwchllyn |
| Arllechwedd |
| Hendre |
| Aberdovey |
| Tywyn |
| Bryn-crug/Llanfihangel |
| Llangelynin |
| Dolgellau South |
| Dolgellau North |
| Brithdir and Llanfachreth/Ganllwyd/Llanelltyd |
| Trawsfynydd |
| Abermaw |
| Diffwys and Maenofferen |
| Bowydd and Rhiw |
| Teigl |
| Harlech |
| Dyffryn Ardudwy |
| Llanbedr |
| Porthmadog West |
| Penrhyndeudraeth |
| Porthmadog-Tremadog |
| Porthmadog East |
| Dolbenmaen |
| Clynnog |
| Llanystumdwy |
| Criccieth |
| Pwllheli South |
| Pwllheli North |
| Llanbedrog |
| Efail-newydd/Buan |
| Abererch |
| Morfa Nefyn |
| Nefyn |
| Llanaelhaearn |
| Abersoch |
| Llanengan |
| Botwnnog |
| Aberdaron |
| Tudweiliog |
| Groeslon |
| Bontnewydd |
| Llanwnda |
| Seiont |
| Peblig (Caernarfon) |
| Penygroes |
| Talysarn |
| Llanllyfni |
| Waunfawr |
| Menai (Caernarfon) |
| Cadnant |
| Bethel |
| Y Felinheli |
| Cwm-y-Glo |
| Llanrug |
| Penisarwaun |
| Deiniolen |
| Llanberis |
| Pentir |
| Deiniol |
| Hirael |
| Garth |
| Marchog |
| Menai (Bangor) |
| Dewi |
| Glyder |
| Ogwen |
| Tregarth & Mynydd Llandygai |
| Gerlan |
| Corris/Mawddwy |
5. How much could you get?
The heating at your property can make all the difference, especially when it comes to grant funding. For example, if you have existing or previous heating equipment installed in your home this will affect how much installers are willing to pay for installing new equipment. The amount they’re able to fund depends on information like where you live and what type of walling has been installed before so check these details out when applying!
The grants are currently available as follows (subject to survey and meeting eligibility rules):
- Boiler grants - this could give you 25% - 75% off the RRP of installing a new boiler
- Cavity wall insulation grants - up to 100% of the installation cost
- External wall insulation grants - up to 100% of the installation cost (only available where electric is the main heating source)
- First time central heating grants - 50-100% of the installation cost (propeties must not have previously had central heating)
- Internal wall insulation grants- up to 100% of the installation cost (only available where electric is the main heating source)
- Loft Insulation - up to 100% of the installation cost (usually only available where electric is the main heating source but in some areas loft insulation is available for gas properties)
- Roof Insulation - up to 100% of the installation cost (usually only available where electric is the main heating source but in some areas roof insulation is available for gas properties where it is installed alongside a new boiler)
- Smart thermostat grants - up to 100% of the cost but only available through some installers
- Underfloor insulation grants - up to 100% of the installation cost but usually only installed alongside another measure like a boiler upgrade
The grant is paid directly to the Registered Installer and because it is a grant, you don’t need to worry about paying them back! Where contributions are required towards the installation cost, they will quote for costs in advance. To avoid any surprises or hidden fees of additional expenses that may be incurred before beginning work on site.
Gwynedd Council flexible energy (LA Flex) rules are detailed in this Statement of Intent
A full list of all local authority flexible energy rules can be found on the gov.uk website
Apply for a grant
Check eligibility for grants
Fill in the short form to see if you are eligible for Government grants.