Free Renewable Heating Scheme For Scarborough Borough Residents

North Yorkshire County Council, in partnership with Scarborough, Ryedale, Hambleton and Richmondshire councils, has launched a free renewable heating scheme with funding through National Grid’s Warm Homes Fund.

The scheme will help people living in the borough of Scarborough and the districts of Ryedale, Hambleton and Richmondshire to reduce their energy bills and transform their home heating.

The authority says homeowners and tenants who currently use inefficient storage heaters, room heaters or solid fuel heating, could get a new, fully funded renewable heating system installed in their home at no cost to themselves.

Residents living away from the gas network, looking to reduce their heating costs whilst enjoying a warm home, are also encouraged to consider applying to the scheme.

The renewable heating scheme aims to install 200 renewable heating systems in homes across the four authority areas.

The council says at the heart of the system is an air source heat pump, which typically provides more than three times the heat for each unit of electricity used to power it. This heat is delivered into the home via new radiators and a hot water system.

The scheme is targeting properties that do not have an existing gas, oil or LPG central heating system and are located away from the gas network. Householder eligibility criteria will also be taken into consideration as part of the qualification process.

Communitas Energy (CE) is managing the scheme on behalf of the councils. Anyone interested in applying to the scheme should contact CE via its website www.ce-cic.org.uk/north-yorkshire-heat-pump-project or by calling 0113 486 2941.

North Yorkshire County Council was successful in securing funding for the scheme through National Grid’s £150m Warm Homes Fund, with support from Scarborough Borough Council, Ryedale District Council, Hambleton District Council and Richmondshire District Council.

County Councillor Caroline Dickinson, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Public Health, Prevention and Supported Housing said:

“We are delighted to announce this pioneering renewable heating scheme, which gives our more vulnerable residents in Hambleton, Richmondshire, Ryedale and the borough of Scarborough the opportunity to upgrade their homes to the latest low carbon heating technology for free.

“This scheme will not only help eligible residents reduce their fuel bills but improve the energy efficiency of properties in North Yorkshire.”

Cllr Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, Scarborough Borough Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability said:

“We welcome being part of this important scheme to help create better homes and a cleaner and greener borough.

“As well as the obvious environmental benefits of renewable heating systems, they completely transform how a home is heated, bringing greater efficiency, much lower bills and peace of mind.”

Jeremy Nesbitt, Managing Director of Affordable Warmth Solutions CIC, which administers the fund on behalf of National Grid, said:

“We are excited about this investment from National Grid and are delighted to support these North Yorkshire councils to fund the scheme to address fuel poverty across the region.”

“Solving the issues associated with Fuel Poverty continues to challenge many of our stakeholders and the feedback we’ve already received provides evidence of how the Warm Homes Fund will make a positive difference to thousands of homes throughout Great Britain.”

Anyone who would like to verify the scheme with their local authority should contact them directly.