19. Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme

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Warmer Homes Scotland is a Scottish Government funded fuel poverty scheme.  Warmer Homes Scotland is designed to help people make their homes warmer and more comfortable by installing a range of energy efficiency measures. Assistance is being offered to homeowners and private sector tenants, who have lived in their property for at least twelve months, and who meet the qualifying criteria below. The scheme is managed and delivered by Warmworks Scotland.

What support is available?

The measures offered will depend on a survey of the property. If the householders have had assistance through a Government programme before, they can still apply for Warmer Homes Scotland if they meet the qualifying criteria. The cost of installing the measures identified in the survey of the property will usually be covered by the Scottish Government, but a customer contribution may be required for more expensive measures.  An interest-free loan may be available to meet the cost of customer contributions.

There are over forty potential measures available including:

  • Wall insulation
  • Loft insulation
  • Draught-proofing
  • Central heating (excluding electric wet and solid fuel systems)
  • Boiler upgrade (for non-condensing boiler over 10 years old)
  • Renewable technologies

Note: restrictions apply to the measures available under Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS) to customers living in privately rented properties.  Private Rented Sector properties covered by the statutory Repairing Standard will no longer receive measures that a landlord is legally obliged to provide.  These customers will still be eligible for other measures available under the scheme if these are recommended for the property.

Eligibility criteria

The eligibility criteria is summarised below. If householders do not meet the criteria for Warmer Homes Scotland they may be eligible for assistance through the interest free loan scheme or one of the many area-based schemes.  For a home to be considered, it must have an energy rating of 64 or lower and have a floor area of less than 230m2.

Householders must not have received support for energy efficiency measures through Warmer Homes Scotland or HEEPS ABS funding in the last five years.

One member of the household must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Be homeowners or the tenants of a private-sector landlord
  • Live in the home as their main residence
  • Have lived there for at least 12 months (unless in receipt of a DS1500 certificate)
  • Live in a home that meets the tolerable living standard set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 or, where    the home does not meet the tolerable living standards, this will not impact on the effectiveness of the measures recommended for installation under the scheme.

and must also meet one of the following conditions:

  • Be over pensionable age, have no working heating system and be in receipt of a passport benefit;
  • Be aged over 75 and be in receipt of a passport benefit;
  • Be pregnant and/or have a child under 16 and be in receipt of a passport benefit;
  • Have a disability and be in receipt of high rate Disability Living Allowance (care or mobility component);
  • Have a disability and be in receipt of low/medium rate Disability Living Allowance (care or mobility component) and be in receipt of an income related benefit
  • Be a carer in receipt of Carers Allowance;
  • Have been injured or disabled serving in the Armed Forces and be in receipt of Armed Forces Independence Payment/War Disablement Pension;
  • Have an injury or disability from an accident or disease caused by work and be in receipt of Industrial Injuries Disablement

The passport benefits are:

  • Guarantee element of Pension Credit;
  • Attendance Allowance;
  • Universal Credit or any of the benefits due to be replaced by Universal Credit (Income Based JSA, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit);
  • Council Tax Reduction (excluding 25% discount for single occupancy)
  • Carer’s Allowance;
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP);
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment;
  • War Disablement Pension;
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement

Householders should call the Home Energy Scotland hotline on 0808 808 2282 to establish which schemes and measures they are eligible for. The process will include a survey of the property as well as identifying accredited installers.

Contact Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 for more information.

http://www.greenerscotland.org/home-energy/advice-and-grants