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Home Energy Efficiency

The Vale of Glamorgan Council supports Welsh Government's aim to tackle fuel poverty and poor energy efficiency in homes.

Homes that are energy inefficient (with an Energy Performance Rating below a C) will be harder to keep warm, have higher energy bills, and pump more CO2 into the atmosphere compared with their more efficient neighbours.

Improving your home’s energy efficiency through insulation and renewable energy technologies can deliver a variety of benefits to you as well as our planet.

Benefits to you:

Significantly reduce heat loss
Reduce your energy bills
Keep you warm in winter, and cool in summer
Lower your carbon footprint
Improve your property's Energy Performance Rating (EPC) making it more attractive to buyers
Improve the comfort of your home and prevent damp

Simple ways to use less energy and save on your energy bills:

Turn your thermostat down 1 degree
Switch the lights off in the rooms you don't utilise and use energy saving bulbs
Don't leave things on stand-by
Only fill and boil the kettle with the water you need
Use washing machines and dryers to full capacity unless you have half load settings
Don't leave taps dripping, especially hot water taps
Close doors to keep heat in rooms

For more energy saving tips, go to Help for Households Campaign

Keeping warm is vital, particularly for older people at home. Age UK recommends layering up and keeping active at home and the Vale of Glamorgan Council has developed a Warm Spaces Scheme with a network of inviting warm community spaces bringing people together this winter at no cost. What's more, the Council is also providing useful information and advice on Cost of Living Support.

Measures that can be put in place to help you stay warm at home and lower your energy bills:

Insulating your roof, floor and walls
Draught-proofing windows and doors
Upgrading your heating system to an energy efficient boiler or a heat pump
Installing double or triple glazing
Using renewable sources of energy, such as solar power
Check the EPC rating for your home or have one carried out to get personalised recommendations
Ask your energy provider to fit a SMART meter to help you manage your energy usage and costs

Project Zero

Project Zero is the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s response to the Climate Change Emergency. It brings together the wide range of work and opportunities available to tackle climate change, reduce the Council’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2030 and encourage others to make positive changes to support Project Zero at home.

Warm Wales

Warm Wales works with different services to make sure that homes are warm and safe.

They can give you free advice about:

energy,
water bills,
heating,
registering for the Priority Services Register, and
safety measures in your home.

You can get advice for what is best for your home by completing a referral form, or by phoning them.

0800 091 1786 - select option 1

Warm Wales

Nest logo

Welsh Government Warm Homes Nest Scheme

Help to mak your home more energy efficient!

The Welsh Government Warm Homes Nest scheme makes Welsh homes warmer and more energy efficient places to live. Nest provides all households in Wales with free, impartial advice to help you reduce your energy bills, maximise your income, and lower your carbon footprint. You could also be eligible for free home energy efficiency improvements such as free home heating and insulation measures.

Call freephone 0808 808 2244, Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm or visit the website gov.wales/nest to find out more.

ECO4 Scheme (Energy Company Obligation including ECO4 Flex)

ECO4 is the latest Energy Company Obligation scheme administered by OFGEM. The aim of ECO funding is to help those who are living in fuel poverty and vulnerable to the risk of living in a cold home, and whose house is energy inefficient. ECO funding pays for energy efficiency measures such as heating improvements and insulation to be installed, thereby helping to reduce the cost of heating the home and create carbon savings which is good for the environment too.

Find out more

Citizen’s Advice (Energy Advice Programme)

Helping citizens across Cardiff & the Vale of Glamorgan, supporting those in or at risk of fuel poverty by providing energy advice.

These include:

Supporting with your energy issues
Provide energy efficiency measures and achieve outcomes
Offering a benefit entitlement calculation to ensure you are receiving the appropriate benefits
Energy grants based on your individual circumstances
Advising and support you to sign up to appropriate schemes - such as the Priority Services Register referrals
Enabling onward referral and support - to address other barriers to living in a safe and warm home. This could include, but is not limited to, emergency funds, housing support, food vouchers etc.

Please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. Advisers are available 9am-5pm Monday to Friday (closed on bank holidays).

You can also find out more via The Energy Outreach programme which creates an entry point for under-represented or underserved communities to access energy advice and other Citizens Advice services. Offering 1-2-1 advice time for every consumer – enabling to ask questions about a particular issue you might be struggling with. Any complex energy advice requirements will be referred to an appropriate local service for specialist energy advice.

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Solar Together South East Wales - buying solar panels and battery storage made easy

Would you like to lower your energy bills while producing your own clean electricity? Installing Solar Panels with battery storage is a smart investment, helping you take control of your energy use while reducing your carbon footprint.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is offering residents the opportunity to install high-quality solar panels at a competitive price. By generating your own electricity, you’ll rely less on the grid, cut your energy costs and help to reduce carbon emissions.

Find out more