The cost of living crisis has had many effects, not least pushing a significant amount of people across Northern Ireland into fuel poverty. ‘Heat or eat’ has become a tough choice for those who cannot afford to do both.
Fortunately, there is help available to the hardest hit in the form of the Affordable Warmth Scheme. This gives the opportunity for those with a low income to obtain a grant that will help with energy-saving improvements and lower bills. The grant will help to cover the cost of improvements including:
- Insulation and draught-proofing, including cavity wall insulation and loft insulation
- Boiler replacement and switch to natural gas or oil central heating system
- Replacement of single-glazed windows
- Solid wall insulation
The scheme is one of a range of energy efficiency measures run by the Department for Social Development and can provide grants of up to £7,500 to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, making them warmer and lowering monthly bills.
Who qualifies for the Affordable Warmth Scheme?
There is a range of criteria but generally, the Affordable Warmth Scheme applies to private homeowners and tenants who have a gross yearly household income of less than £23,000. It doesn’t apply to people in social housing. The boiler replacement or system upgrade for home applies where a boiler is at least 15 years old and the householder is over 65 or has a child in receipt of child benefit or kinship payments or receives disability living allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance or Industrial Injuries Benefit. For further information about eligibility and what you might qualify for, visit the Northern Ireland Housing Executive Affordable Warmth page.
How does the Affordable Warmth Scheme work?
First, you need to contact your local council and ask for a free survey. You’ll be asked to fill in a form. After this, a technical officer will visit your home to assess what measures will be suitable. This usually takes around an hour.
If you qualify, you’ll be sent an Approval Pack which tells you how much grant aid you’re entitled to and what measures you should carry out.
What happens next?
When approval is granted you will have around three months to complete the work and you need to find your own contractor to carry it out. Turkington Windows is very proud to be one of the Affordable Warmth Scheme’s accredited double glazing companies, so if you’ve been given the approval to change your windows don’t hesitate to give us a call or get in touch via the website.
What difference will replacing windows make?
Many homes across Northern Ireland still rely on old and inefficient single glazing which lets heat escape quickly, making you feel colder and costing you money. Upgrading to double glazing is a no-brainer, as you will improve energy efficiency, feel warmer and cut costs. Double glazing works by using the insulating space between two panes of glass or polycarbonate to trap heat and slow its escape from a building.
Our highly popular double glazing offers energy-efficient A-rated, Low-E glass to homeowners looking for a cost-effective way to upgrade single-glazed windows that will last for many years to come. Not only does our high-quality double glazing reduce unwanted noise and your carbon emissions, but it also enables considerable energy savings via its excellent weather-resistant qualities too.
How can Turkington Windows help?
As one of Northern Ireland and Dublin’s leading window companies, Turkington is committed to improving the energy efficiency of homes across the area. For more information about the Affordable Warmth Scheme, or about any of our products and services, give us a call on 0800 028 1812 or send us an email.
