Grants available for homes improvements & energy efficiency

echohoteloscar

kizziegirl wrote: »

Hi i rent privetly and my Gas Boiler is about 30 yrs old. My Landlady has it checked every year and while it is not effient, it works. My bills are huge and even with cavity and loft insulation it is alot of money. Is there some where i can get a grant to replace the Boiler as my Landlady says she has no funds for this
Thanks.

The easiest answer is that if you qualify for a free grant or substantial assistance, many such schemes are tenure blind so effectively your landlady would receive either a new or low cost boiler, and you get lower bills. Ring your local Energy Savings Trust Advice Centre on freephone 0800 512 012 during office hours to see what you qualify for (if any), with no obligation to apply. If you are in receipt of benefits you're more likely to qualify. My concern is that the extreme cold makes your home not healthy to live in. You should consider discussing with your local environmental health department if your cold home would be a housing health hazard - if it is, they can ask your landlady to improve the situation for you.

echohoteloscar

Cougargb wrote: »

I forgot to mention another little gem from Eaga and the Warmfront scheme.

You will notice that part of the deal is to include a pack of Energy saving bulbs once the installation is completed.

Surprisingly before I had even agreed to continue my pack arrived.

It consisted of...

6x Philips bulbs, 4x11w,2x14w.

Nice little freebie you think but NO when the letter came saying how much the cost of the installation will be (PLUS the top-up!) they had charged £8.09 for the bulbs! (This they deducted from the grant)

However in Morrisons those same bulbs (11w anyway) were on offer 5 for £1.

Eaga when told I didn't want the pack, said sorry but you have to have them!

Something else I shall report to my MP :-)

The National Audit Office has just published a report making recommendations on changes to the Warm Front scheme
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0809/the_warm_front_scheme.aspx
See point C near the bottom of the page above which shows the issue of 'top ups' has been considered. Unlike recommendations from other organisations, the government usually acts on many NAO recommendations (as the NAO is effectively seen as part of the government machinery). There are other interesting recommendations made which could affect delivery in the future, however, it may take some time for them to be enacted.

echohoteloscar

pancake wrote: »

My daughter is registered blind. I am converting my garage to a family room for her. Am I eligible for any form of grant to offset the costs?

Before you start any work, contact your local district / borough / city council and ask to speak to an officer about a Disabled Facilities Grant. Grants for children aren't means tested and are mandatory, so if a council Occupational Therapist agrees that a garage conversion is necessary and appropriate, you will receive up to £30,000 help. If not, they may still be able to help with items of equipment to make your daughter's day-to-day living easier.

echohoteloscar

scooby.doo wrote: »

Hello,
last November our boiler started playing up, as my husband is presently unemployed and the boiler is only 4 years old we rang about a grant for repairing it.
We were told that we would be contacted by Warm Front, 6 weeks later we were telephoned and an appointment was made for them to visit. This they did and we were told that we had to wait for an engineer to call to make an assessment. During this time, as you know we have had a lot of cold weather and some snow, the house has been very hard to keep warm for our three children and ourselves and the boiler has gotten prgressively worse. Now at last the engineer will be calling at the end of the month. We were told that we will probably require a new boiler and the cost will be about 2500.00. I'm not sure that it couldn't just be repaired and so saving the governmentome money. It is a shame that Warm Front does all the work and that we cannot get the work done by another qualified engineer, as i'm sure it would be much cheaper.
We had the loft insulated and cavity wall insulation fitted when we had our boiler fitted 4 years ago, but did not have the funds then to replace the windows.
We are loosing a lot of heat out of our windows which are not double glazed, but we cannot afford to replace them. Are there any schemes available where we can apply for financial help with this?
Thanks.

Warmfront is generally designed for energy efficiency improvements rather than repairs. Your local council may be able to help with a Home Improvement grant or loan to repair your boiler. The assistance is also likely available to bring your home up to a minimum habitable standard, so windows could be replaced if an officer thinks they are in such a bad condition. Windows are not usually replaced as part of an energy improvement package as compared to walls and roofs, less heat is lost through them. As they are local schemes the council should be able to give you a clear answer about how much help is available and how quickly they can respond (generally quicker than Warm Front if available). They may also have information on if there is a Home Improvement Agency operating in your area who could help carry out works or help you raise the money to pay if you don't qualify for a grant.

echohoteloscar

asm1970 wrote: »

Hi, My mother in law is 80 years old and is currently receiving Pension Credit & a single person Council Tax reduction. I am sure that she should be eligible for more help with her home. It is currently mortgaged, she has metal window frames (from the 1950s I think!), she has oil central heating which was fitted about 15 years ago. If anybody could help me & her, I would greatly appreciated it. Many Thanks

I agree with Ken68 comments. Ring 0800 512 012 and tell them about your mother in law. Her local council or Home Improvement Agency may also be able to help.

echohoteloscar

pacer007 wrote: »

We are in the process of having an adaptation for our disabled daughter. It consists of a specialist bathroom with a wash/dry toilet, a bath that lifts up and a hoist. We also have had some doorways widened, a new front door with a low threshold and a ramp up to the door. It sounds fine so far.

This work is funded by the local council and is being managed by a company called “In Touch”. The put the job out to tender and builders were chosen to do the job.

My problem is that the quality of the work is poor and a number of building regulations have been ignored. I feel that the chap that is running the job just wants to get it finished as quick as he can no matter what. He just wants the £3,000 commission that will be paid for running the job.

My question. Is there an independent body that could come and look at the work to see that it complies with what it should? I am hoping that when the council come to sign the job off, the faults will be picked up. But, I know the builder dose a lot of this sort of work in the area. So he must get away with doing a shoddy job.

Some points at fault are:

The handrail alongside the ramp dose not compile with part M building regs.
No point of electrical isolation for the toilet.
No bonding of pipes in the bathroom
I could go on.

Thanks,

Pete.

The officer of the council (name should be on the paperwork you received) will be responsible for making sure the council receives value for money. Ring him or her straight away as these works need to be put right before the council releases payment to the contractor. The council officer will do all the hard work in identifying where the job doesn't meet the grant specification.

echohoteloscar

Suzkin wrote: »

I've been liaising with 'In Touch' / Council and have been astonished by their poor attitude: putting neighbours (e.g. me) under pressure to go with their surveyor rather than exercise ones legal right to appoint an independent surveyor (and thereby protect ones property from potentially poor workmanship).

When I DID appoint my own (for which the neighbour would be paying), I received a snotty phone call loaded with emotional blackmail from the Council telling me I should treat people in the same way I would wish to be treated myself! The other neighbour received a threatening letter from the councils appointed solicitor about going with the Councils/In Touch's appointed surveyor rather than appointing their own.

I also got blamed for holding the neighbours work up!

When it came to looking at my own property, In Touch simply gave me the fees schedule and advised me to sort it out myself! Rubbish, I say. Not to be wholly trusted.

BTW: Never forget - In Touch / Council give LOANS which MUST be repaid by the homwowner either by sale of property or by taking out another loan and 'buying them out'. These are NOT only grants, which are 'free'.

Also, their terms and conditions are VERY VERY stringent, with hefty penalties: I was only given a draft copy after TWO YEARS of liaising with the Council / In Touch about essential repairs to my house - interesting how they kept that quiet...........The contract is also like an open chequebook i.e. if they uncover anything else that needs doing in addition to the scheduled work, they'll do it - and thus even more equity is taken from your house :-(

It sounds like you received a very poor outcome, Suzkin.

Different councils offer different schemes to repair or improve homes - some offer grants, some offer loans, some have approved contractors, some allow the applicant to obtain quotes from at least two contractors and the lowest quote is chosen. Some carry out interim inspections, some offer home improvement agencies to oversee works. My advice would be to obtain as much information as possible on what is being offered and remember that for most schemes, you are under no commitment to proceed until the grant / loan is approved and works start on site, or you sign a document agreeing to proceed. All councils offer a formal complaints mechanism which is usually more robust than that of the contractors that carry out your works.

I'm proud to run a department that has excellent feedback from customers (100% satisfied or very satisfied). Problems sometimes occur and that is why my officers deal with all such issues sympathetically as many of our clients are 'vulnerable' - either disabled or elderly.

Most other grant / loan jobs are not as badly executed as the one you describe, Suzkin.

gunslinger13401

Does anyone know of a grant for lowering a kerb. My girlfriend lives in a housing assoc.house situated in a very narrow road. Cars park along one side of the road leaving just enough room for a narrow car to pass,when visiting in my work transit I have to have two wheels up on the opposite pavement to pass.
There are a lot of children in the road including her four and IMO its very dangerous.In fact one of her children was nearly injured by a vehicle half on the pavement last week.
I have told her that I would be happy to dig out and lay a parking space but there is no way she can afford to have the kerb dropped as she is on benefits.
Several owner occupiers in the road have installed driveways and it has improved their area no end.
Any help and /advice appreciated
Mike
PS. She is in Devon under Teignbridge council.

echohoteloscar

gunslinger13401 wrote: »

Does anyone know of a grant for lowering a kerb. My girlfriend lives in a housing assoc.house situated in a very narrow road. Cars park along one side of the road leaving just enough room for a narrow car to pass,when visiting in my work transit I have to have two wheels up on the opposite pavement to pass.
There are a lot of children in the road including her four and IMO its very dangerous.In fact one of her children was nearly injured by a vehicle half on the pavement last week.
I have told her that I would be happy to dig out and lay a parking space but there is no way she can afford to have the kerb dropped as she is on benefits.
Several owner occupiers in the road have installed driveways and it has improved their area no end.
Any help and /advice appreciated
Mike
PS. She is in Devon under Teignbridge council.

In the first instance she would need two permissions, the first from her landlord that they are happy for the work to be carried out and the second from Devon County Council to drop the kerb
http://www.devon.gov.uk/vehicle_crossings_dropped_kerbs
I doubt they would allow you to carry out the work. The only grant I'm aware of to do this work would be if your girlfriend or her children are disabled and there is a need to have easy access to their home. If this is the case, ring the grants department at Teignbridge. If not, then it may still be worth her repeating what you say above, to her landlord to see if they would help pay or even carry out the work for her.

gunslinger13401

echohoteloscar wrote: »

In the first instance she would need two permissions, the first from her landlord that they are happy for the work to be carried out and the second from Devon County Council to drop the kerb
http://www.devon.gov.uk/vehicle_crossings_dropped_kerbs
I doubt they would allow you to carry out the work. The only grant I'm aware of to do this work would be if your girlfriend or her children are disabled and there is a need to have easy access to their home. If this is the case, ring the grants department at Teignbridge. If not, then it may still be worth her repeating what you say above, to her landlord to see if they would help pay or even carry out the work for her.

Thanks for the quick reply. I know I cannot drop the pavement as that has to be done by an authorised company,but I am sure they would allow me to lay the hardcore and gravel the drive. No fortunately she is not disabled but the road is very dangerous for kids so I thought with the HSE there might be something available on that basis.
Cheers
Mike