£1.05m of council funding is proposed to be invested in home energy-saving measures.
The council’s ‘green’ funding would complement the Government’s Green Deal proposals to cut carbon emissions through a nationwide scheme offering energy efficiency improvements, such as insulation, to bill payers without having to pay up front – you take out a loan with the energy company and pay this back through expected savings in your energy bill.
The scheme launches later this year and the aim is for as many households as possible to benefit from having a more energy efficient home.
Cllr Matthew Riddle, Conservative Cabinet Member for Community Care and Housing, said:
“At last year’s local elections, we promised residents that we would do what we could to help them cut their energy bills through the installation of energy saving measures in their homes - this announcement is evidence of us delivering on that pledge.
As a council, not only do we want to help residents with the rising cost of living by keeping their council tax down, but we also want to help them keep their energy bills down too.
This funding will also generate much-needed jobs in our local green economy.”
The Council is also proposing to set aside £1.86m to fund energy-saving improvements and renewable energy schemes in schools.
Cllr Sheila Cook, Conservative Cabinet Member for Children & Young People, said:
“We know that it’s difficult for schools to access funding to make these sort of green improvements, so the proposal is to make loan funding available to schools on a ‘spend-to-save’ basis.”
The proposal would make £1.5m available for energy efficiency schemes - lighting, heating control and draught proofing - with implementation staggered over 2 or 3 years, and to make £360k available to meet the over-and-above costs of installing biomass - rather than gas boilers - in several schools whose heating systems require replacement over the next year.
The capital costs of the schemes would be paid back from savings in future energy bills and in the case of biomass boilers, from Renewable Heat Incentive payments.
A full Cabinet report on these capital projects will be published on the Council’s website on Friday 27th January. The Cabinet meeting will be held on Monday 6th February with the final sign off expected at the Budget Full Council meeting being held on Wednesday 22nd February.