Heating and Insulation Grants & Advice

If you need to improve the energy efficiency of your home, are struggling to stay warm in winter or afford your energy bills, East Staffordshire Borough Council's freephone energy advice service, provided on our behalf by Beat the Cold could help. 

Beat the Cold provides free and impartial energy efficiency advice to residents to help reduce cold related illness and fuel poverty. They support households that are struggling to afford to keep their home warm, or whose health would be affected by living in a cold home by providing access to heating and insulation measures to vulnerable and low income households. 

They can give advice on: 

  • Paying for Fuel
  • Finding the best available tariffs
  • Switching supplier
  • Improving energy efficiency in the home
  • Fuel debt
  • Free or low-cost insulation, solar energy and heat pumps
  • Advice and support to access funding for heating repairs and replacements
  • Access to grants including Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment
  • Support to register households as priority customers with their energy provider

You can get in touch with Beat the Cold by calling 01782 914 915 or freephone 0800 389 2258 or email enquiries@beatcold.org.uk

Heating and Insulation Grants & Advice

Energy Efficiency Grants- Staffordshire Warmer Homes

See if you're eligible for funding

Staffordshire Warmer Homes is a scheme run by Staffordshire County Council, in partnership with East Staffordshire Borough Council. Our goal is to combat fuel poverty across the county and help residents to heat their home. This scheme is supported by Beat The Cold, E.ON, Cadent, Communitas Energy CIC,  Affordable Warmth Solutions and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Staffordshire Warmer Homes can support you to access funding for solar PV, external wall insulation, first time gas central heating and air source heat pumps. 

Owner occupiers and private landlords / tenants can apply. To qualify, householders need to be in receipt of benefits OR meet the council's ECO eligibility criteria. Under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Help to Heat flexible eligibility, certain energy suppliers are able to use up to 10% of their ECO Affordable Warmth Obligation to help install energy saving measures in properties that have been declared eligible by local authorities. East Staffordshire Borough Council has therefore extended the eligibility criteria for this scheme, please read the Statement of Intent for more information.

Previous versions of our SOI's are available here:

For more information contact Beat The Cold on 01782 914915.

Why improve your home insulation

If your home is poorly insulated you are wasting energy and that is costing you money.

The older your home the more inefficient it is likely to be at keeping heat in.

Insulating your loft could put £104 back in your pocket each year. Just stopping the drafts can cut fuel bills by £100. If you insulate your hot water cylinder or install improved heating controls you can save even more.

Replacing single glazed windows with double glazing will save, on average, £41 per year.

The Energy Saving Trust has lots of advice about energy efficiency. Your energy supplier(s) will also have ways to help you.

Switch to cheaper energy

It is worth checking if you can save money by switching to a cheaper deal; use one of the OFGEM approved comparison Websites.

If you have a pre-payment meter you can still switch to a different supplier, even if you have debt on the meter of up to £500.

If you pay your landlord for energy then the landlord chooses the supplier, so you could ask your landlord to check that they are on the best deal.

If you don't have a pre-payment meter then the cheapest deals typically involve paying the same amount each month by direct debit, which also helps with budgeting.

Heating Disrepair in Rented Accommodation

It is important to keep warm while the weather is cold. If you are a tenant and do not have heating you should notify your landlord as soon as possible and give them a reasonable amount of time to do the repair. A good landlord will provide temporary heaters to hep you stay warm. However if your landlord does not resolve the situation please contact the Environmental Heath Team on:

Tel: 01283 508680
Email: housing@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk

Top Tips for Keeping Warm

  • Keep your home warm- your living room should be between 18-21C and the rest of the house at a minimum of 16C
  • Reduce drafts and insulate- use draught excluders on doors
  • Dress to keep warm- layer your clothing to stay warm
  • Keep moving and stay active
  • Remove condensation from around windows to reduce mould growth
  • Avoid drying clothes on radiators- use a clothes airer where possible
  • Avoid going out in bad weather- if you must go out, wrap up in plenty of layers