Written by Kate Hallewell
The West Lancashire Borough Council has a way for people to get grants. They’re not strict and you can use the money for things like insulation or heating. Make sure that you check the guidelines before applying because they might say that you cannot do certain things with the money if it doesn’t follow their rules.
1. What is Local Authority Flexible Energy or LA Flex?
2. What grants are available?
The types of grants available to residents living in the West Lancashire Borough 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?
This government-funded program can help you if you own a home, or rent one. If you are a housing association tenant, this program may also be able to help you. The easiest way to see if you are eligible is to use our eligibility checker here.
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.
West Lancashire Borough Council
If you DON'T claim benefits, the criteria for identifying households in fuel poverty in West Lancashire Borough Council are as follows:
Criteria for West Lancashire Borough Council eligible households
Fuel Poverty
o has a total household income, not in excess of £30,000 and;
o has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of band D, E, F, or G.
Vulnerable to Cold
o Diagnosed cardiovascular condition
o Diagnosed respiratory conditions (in particular, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease and childhood asthma)
o Diagnosed mental health condition
o Diagnosed disability
o Aged 65 and over
o Households with young children (under 5)
o pregnant women
o Terminally ill
o Suppressed immune systems (e.g. from cancer treatment or HIV)
o Mobility issues and have attended hospital due to a fall
o people who move in and out of homelessness
o People with addictions
o Recent immigrants and refugees
| L31 |
| L33 |
| L37 |
| L39 |
| L40 |
| PR4 |
| PR7 |
| PR8 |
| PR9 |
| WA11 |
| WN5 |
| WN6 |
| WN8 |
| Bickerstaffe |
| Aughton and Downholland |
| Scott |
| Knowsley |
| Derby |
| Aughton Park |
| Halsall |
| Burscough West |
| Scarisbrick |
| Rufford |
| Parbold |
| Burscough East |
| Newburgh |
| Ashurst |
| Hesketh-with-Becconsall |
| Tarleton |
| North Meols |
| Up Holland |
| Wrightington |
| Skelmersdale North |
| Moorside |
| Tanhouse |
| Birch Green |
| Digmoor |
| Skelmersdale South |
5. How much could you get?
The amount of the grant is based on a lot of things. One important factor is the heating. The Ofgem rules have a big emphasis on heating. You also need to know about your home’s wall type and how many bedrooms it has to get money from the grant. The amount can depend on where you live too because some people cannot get a grant because there are not installers in their area.
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 to the installer. It does not have to be repaid because it is a grant. The installer will need your list of prices before they give you a quote. You can get the free no-obligation survey first, and then decide what you want to do after that.
West Lancashire Borough 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.