Hundreds of homes across the county are benefiting from upgraded home energy solutions thanks to grant funding awarded to Northumberland County Council. 
 

Council teams have installed a total of 219 insulation and low-carbon energy solutions in eligible homes across the county, helping Northumberland residents become more energy efficient and reduce their bills and carbon footprint.   
 

An average of two measures per property have been installed, improving energy use in 107 homes which were previously heated by mains gas. These include 71 loft insulations, 80 solar PV installations, 41 cavity wall insulations, four room-in-roof insulations, nine internal wall insulations, four heating controls, and 10 under-floor insulations, resulting in a marked improvement in Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings. 
 

Glen Sanderson, Northumberland County Council Leader, and Cabinet Member for Climate Change said: "I am thrilled with the success of this initiative which is positively impacting our residents' lives and the environment.
 

“The Council is dedicated to improving energy efficiency in as many buildings as possible across the county as part of our ambitious drive to become a carbon neutral county. We will continue to support schemes such as this to help make this happen.” 
 

The Council has recruited and trained in-house community advisors and retrofit advisors and coordinators so that operations can be seamlessly provided by the Council.  
 

Local Councillor Nick Oliver said: “It is through programmes such as this that we see a real difference for our residents. Not only is this helping make our homes in the county more efficient, but it is fostering a commitment to environmental responsibility, and the Council will continue to support our households, where possible, as we work towards a cleaner, low-carbon future." 
 

The project is being delivered by the Council’s Warmer Homes team and forms part of the Council's Climate Change Action Plan, which aims to see Northumberland become a carbon neutral county by 2030. 
 

Neil Rochester from Corbridge has had insulation upgrades installed on his property. Mr Rochester said: "Whenever I’m asked about my solar panels, I find myself ending my comments with “It didn’t cost me a penny.” 
 

“But it's more than that. Under the Warmer Homes scheme other work was done. My cavity wall insulation was replaced, and vent fans were installed in my utility room and bathroom. I'm soon hoping to see a substantial reduction in my utility bills – and it still hasn’t cost me a penny!" 
 

The funding was awarded as part of the Government’s Local Authority Delivery (LAD3) scheme to upgrade eligible homes heated by mains gas. 

Home Upgrade Grants (HUG) are currently available for eligible homes in the county that do not use mains gas for heating.  
 

Find out more and apply at nland.cc/warmerhomes