Households earning up to £36,000 alerted to cost of living help

Households who earn less than £36,000 have been told they could secure help to keep their bills down. The Home Upgrade Grant is available for certain low-income households.

It can help make properties more energy efficient and mean families don't have to spend as much on gas and electricity bills. Households who think they could be eligible are being encouraged to find out more details.

People must own their own home to be considered for the grant. It must have an EPC rating of D or below, grades applied based on the energy efficiency of properties. Colder homes where heat easily escapes will have lower grades. The household must also be earning a total of under £36,000.

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Experts at boiler firm BOXT said: "In a bid to make UK homes more energy-efficient, the Government created the Home Upgrade Grant or HUG as it’s also known. For those meeting the eligibility criteria, the grant will allow for property upgrades, such as low-carbon heating systems, heating controls and energy-efficient lighting.

"To be considered for this grant, you must own your own home, have an EPC rating of D or below or have a household income of less than £36,000." Andy Kerr, founder at BOXT, added: "Energy costs have been a constant worry for millions of Brits over recent years and with Ofgem announcing that the price cap would rise by 10% from October, many people will be having to make some difficult decisions this winter to heat their homes.

"To help ease the financial pressure millions of Brits will be facing this winter, the Government introduced several grants which are aimed at making homes across the country more energy-efficient and more importantly, help to lower energy costs for homeowners. If the thought of rising energy costs is causing you concern and you’re worried about heating your home this winter, then we’d recommend contacting your energy provider or looking on GOV.UK to find out if you could meet the criteria.”