Geoffrey Evans recently had solar panels and loft insulation installed on his property in Northallerton. He received the home upgrades through the North Yorkshire Home Upgrade Grant - phase 2 scheme.
Geoffrey is 90 years old, lives alone and is receiving treatment with cancer. During our visit, he told us all about how much it meant to him to receive fully funded home upgrades:
“As you get older you really start to feel the cold, so when I first read about your scheme in the local newspaper, I really jumped at the opportunity to keep my home warm.
“I was thrilled to hear my application was successful and I qualified.
“The loft insulation really appealed to me - since installation I have noticed a big difference with the heat retention.
“Your team even put in extra fans to prevent condensation.
“I was also thrilled with the solar panels; I am receiving £2 a day just by selling back my extra energy.
“In large, I think I’m going to get my electricity for nothing - I can’t wait to maximise the effect of the solar panels in summer.
“The savings encouraged me to get an energy reading app on my phone.”
After telling us about the impact of the home upgrades, Geoffrey went on to talk about the team at YES who helped him through the whole process:
“The team I talked to over the phone were absolutely brilliant, truly wonderful.
“They regularly checked in with me and they were always polite.
“The team who came to do the installation were nice and professional.
“They always took their shoes off when they came inside, and they were both very friendly.
“I would recommend YES Energy Solutions without question.”
If you or someone you know is in a similar situation to Geoffrey and could benefit from funded home upgrades, call our team on 03301 359 110 or text the word advice to 82228.
The Home Upgrade Grant phase 2 (HUG2) is available to help homes that:
- are not on mains gas
- have poor quality insulation
- have inefficient heating systems
What can the Home Upgrade Grant be used for?
The grant can be used for improvements such as insulation and solar panels to air source heat pumps and smart heating controls.
These will help you save money on your energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Who is eligible for the grant?
To qualify for the scheme, residents must live in a home not on mains gas:
- have a household income of £36,000 or less, or
- receive income-related benefits, or
- live in an area identified by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero as eligible
Other eligibility criteria may also apply.
Those living in private rented properties are eligible to apply, although landlords must contribute at least a third of the total cost of the upgrade.
Properties must also be technically suitable for the measures available in the scheme and have a low energy efficient rating (between D and G on an energy performance certificate). Further information on energy performance certificates can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Register your details with us to find out if you are eligible.
Scheme status
This scheme is now open and we are working with community interest company YES Energy Solutions who will deliver the improvements to homes. Please contact them on 01422 880 100 or visit the YES energy solutions page to find out more.
Case studies
Geoffrey - Northallerton home fitted with solar panels and loft insulation
George and Suzanne - loft insulation and air source heat pump fitted in their Northallerton home
George and Suzanne Sayer recently had loft insulation and an air source heat pump installed in their home in Northallerton through the North Yorkshire Home Upgrade Grant funding initiative.
George is his wife’s full-time carer and the couple have been living in their home for the past nine years.
Due to the cold temperature during winter, they wanted work done to help improve their insulation and reduce their bills but they couldn’t afford it.
The Home Upgrade 2 Grant gave them the helping hand they needed.
George and his wife are now happy with the insulation and the house is much warmer.
George said: “I first heard about the new scheme through a letter from the council. In the beginning, I was worried it might be a scam, but I contacted the council and my bank, and they assured me everything was fine, which really put me at ease”.
“The team who contacted me over the phone were amazing and the installers were too. They had to take the radiators off the wall but put everything back as quickly as they removed them and cleaned up after themselves, each one of them was very supportive”.
“Since we had the insulation put in, the house has been much warmer!
“The air source heat pump was put in quickly and the cylinder for it was well hidden and out of the way.
“It’s not that noisy and all the pipes were put tidily away.
“This is really the first time we’ve had anything like this done and as a first experience it has been great. I have had next to no problems, it was nice and easy.”
Jennifer - solar PV installed at her Thirsk home
Jennifer recently had solar PV installed into her home in Thirsk. She has been living in her property for seven years being unable to make any large changes due to its structure.
After talking to YES, the Home Upgrade Grant allowed her to have fully funded solar PV fitted.
Jennifer said: “I first heard about your scheme through a letter in the post, it had the council’s logo on so I was assured it was real. The team I talked to over the phone was very nice, I was happy with all of them including the installers - they were very polite and kept everything clean”.
“Since installation, I have started noticing a difference in my energy usage, once it turns to summer, I’m sure I will see some good savings”.
“I’m also very happy with the way it looks, the solar has encouraged me to look into getting a smart meter.
“Overall, my house has always been very energy inefficient so this will be a big help.”
Alan - electric storage heaters
Alan had electric storage heaters installed through the North Yorkshire Home Energy Upgrade scheme.
He let us know how he became involved in the scheme:
“I saw an article in the local newspaper with YES’ phone number, so I gave it a call. One of the ladies from the office answered and we went through the qualifying criteria together. She then booked me in for a survey and we took it from there.”
He also spoke about the impact the new electric storage heaters have made:
“The electric storage heaters have made a considerable difference, it is much warmer. I have a coal fire in the lounge, but now I use the electric storage heaters to warm my home.”
Gordon - solar panels and loft insulation installed
Gordon and his wife had fully-funded solar panels and loft insulation installed through the North Yorkshire Home Upgrade Grant scheme.
“We’ve lived in the property for about six years now – we moved back here six years ago to be closer to our grandchildren.
“Our house isn’t – or wasn’t – very energy efficient, and we had a low Energy Performance Certificate. We got a letter through the door about the scheme, so thought it would be a good opportunity to apply.
“I’d been thinking about it for ages, but due to my age I wasn’t sure whether it would be worthwhile paying for it myself.
“But I’m so glad we qualified, with the insulation we felt a difference straight away – we use a log burning stove so we were having to leave the door open. Now the heat goes around the whole house, even the bedrooms have been warmed up.”
Gordon let us know about the impact the installations have had on his home life:
“I use an app now so I can tell how much energy is being generated. We generate a lot of energy, and I was surprised on sunny days that it doesn’t reach its maximum.
“It’s generated more energy than we use, and we get some from the grid at night time too, so there’s more than enough.
“The install wasn’t done long ago so it’s too early to tell how it will impact our bills, but I’m looking forward to seeing a clearer picture of how it will impact our bills.
“My wife is able to use the dishwasher when she likes, as we can now rely on the solar panels!”
Further information
If you need more support or advice about keeping your home warm and your energy bills low, visit our cost of living support page for more information.