Energy Support
In this section you will find information about the schemes that are available for residents of Newport to help with the rising costs of energy usage. By the end of this section, you will know:
- What support is available
- Who to contact
- Who to speak to for more information
ECOFlex
Could your home benefit from FREE energy efficiency upgrades?
If you own or privately rent a home which is not energy efficient, you might qualify for free upgrades through the ECO4 Flex scheme.
To qualify, you’ll also need:
• A household income of less than £31,000 per year, or
• A qualifying health condition, or
• To have been referred for support through Citizen’s Advice, or be receiving council tax reduction or be eligible for a school essentials grant.
ECO4 Flex is a scheme delivered by Warm Wales in partnership with Newport City Council. It supports residents in poorly insulated and hard to heat homes – making those homes more energy efficient and helping lessen the impact of rising energy bills.
To see a full list of eligibility criteria and find out if you qualify for the scheme,visit www.newport.gov.uk/ecoflexscheme
Warm Wales
Support households across Wales to become warmer, safer and healthier. We will deliver a package of interventions, tailor made to a households’ needs to ensure the root causes of the problem are identified and addressed. By providing free advice, guidance, support and awareness, Warm Wales will reduce the issues created by the energy crisis and bring resilience, sustainability and empowerment to communities across Wales.
“Our mission is to empower people to make the correct choices and decisions for themselves, enabling them to reduce their likelihood of being in fuel poverty and become more resilient”.
- Energy: help and advice with understanding energy bills, support with fuel debt, smart meters, savings, and discounts.
- Heating: support with applications to Nest, a Welsh Government-funded scheme, providing replacement boilers, central heating systems, and insulation to qualifying households
- Income maximisation: support and signposting for benefit checks andcouncil tax reduction applications
- Home adaptations: support accessing grab-rails, level access showers, stairlifts, etc.
- Priority Service Register: free registration with gas, electricity, and water providers for qualifying households.
To make a referral either self or on behalf of got to our website https://www.warmwales.org.uk/getting-support/ or call 0800 091 1786.
Care & Repair - Older not Colder
Older Not Colder is a Wales-wide service that helps older people to keep their homes warm and reduce their energy bills. The service is for people who live in Wales, are over the age of 60 and who own their own home or privately rent. We can visit and asses your home and
give you free expert advice. We will even try and find funding for you if you need repairs or work to improve the energy efficiency or warmth of your home.
Care & Repairs’ Home Energy Officers can assess needs and give residents expert advice.
They can:
- Assess your home to make sure it is insulated and warm.
- Offer advice on ways to save energy at home.
- Ensure that your heating system is safe and efficient.
- Help solve damp, mould and condensation issues.
- Support you if you are struggling with energy bills.
- Help you to apply for grants to help you keep warm.
To request a free visit from a Home Energy Officer, please contact Care & Repair
Tel: 01495 745936
Email: enquiries@crmon.org.uk
SCOPE
Cost of living is increasing and for disabled people and their families, costs are increasing on essential goods and services like; heating, insurance, equipment and therapies.
These extra costs mean disabled people have less money in their pocket than non-disabled people, or go without.
Their web site offers free energy and water advice for disabled people. The service is open to:
- Any disabled person or household where 1 or more disabled person lives
- Households in England and Wales
Tel: 0808 801 0828
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
UK Government is providing grants to encourage low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps, through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). Grants can help property owners overcome the upfront cost of low carbon heating technologies.
The scheme is open to domestic and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales. It runs from 2022 to 2025.
Riverside Advice
Mathew Ford is the local Newport advisor and is based at The Hive, Stow Hill
Riverside Advice is a charity – the oldest welfare benefits advice charity in Cardiff – that provides free support with the following:
- Applying for benefits and challenging sanctions and discrepancies.
- Appealing benefit decisions all the way to tribunal.
- Completing benefit checks to ensure you are receiving everything that you are entitled to.
- Applying for white goods and furniture.
- Housing and rogue landlord advice.
- Debt and arrears advice, including, if there is no other option, applying for Debt Relief Orders or bankruptcy (Riverside Advice has a fund to pay for bankruptcy fees).
- Issuing Foodbank Vouchers and Fuel Vouchers.
Based at The Hive in Newport City Centre (10 Stow Hill, Newport. NP20 1JB) on a Tuesday afternoon from 14:00 and Fridays from 09:30 until closing.
Alternatively please email: all.info@riverside-advice.co.uk
Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP)
This initiative can be accessed through Newport City Council's Cost of Living Team.
LEAP is offering local residents a completely FREE OF CHARGE service called LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership). LEAP can help you to save money and keep your home warm and cosy. If you are eligible, they will book you an appointment with one of their friendly, qualified advisers.
Support available includes: replacing old and inefficient white goods with modern alternatives. They can also provide free home nergy visits to supply LED lightbulbs, draughts excluders, radiator reflectors and other home energy improvements where suitable.
4a West Market Street, Pill, NP20 2AU
Open drop in sessions for residents across Newport are being held at the above address on Friday mornings 9am – 12pm.
For all other enquiries, please contact:
Newport City Council Safe, Warm and Secure Loan
Housing improvement loans are available to landlords and private homeowners whose properties need repair or modernisation. The loan can be used to make owner-occupied homes safe, warm and secure or to bring empty properties back into use.
The loans can go towards:
Making a property safe, for example:
- new heating system
- replacement doors/windows
- roof repairs
- damp proofing
- electrical re-wiring
Website: Newport City Council
Leasing Scheme Wales (LSW)
Opportunity for landlords to lease their property to Newport City Council for a guaranteed monthly income and full property management service. Grants are available to increase the standards of a property, including increase the EPC of a property.
Grants are available to bring a property up to an agreed and increase the energy efficiency of the property.
Website: Newport City Council
Tel No: 07977667982
Other Energy Solutions
REMEMBER: Help is available if you are unsure or would prefer to speak to someone in person. Please see below for details of the Cost of Living surgeries in Newport.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
ECO is the main scheme for supporting energy efficiency improvements including insulation and some heating improvements in low income and vulnerable households
Helpline: 0800 444202
Monday-Friday 8am-8pm
Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm
NEST
Welsh Government run Energy Saving Trust.
Nest offer free and impartial advice on saving energy and water and money management. Nest offer free home energy improvements to eligible households.
This could include:
- Insulation
- Heat pump (where applicable)
- Solar panels
Webpage: Nest
Tel: 0808 808 2244
Power Up
Providing advice to customers on the Western Power Distribution priority service register by phone and via home visits.
The Priority Services Register (PSR) ensures extra help and support during a power cut for elderly, very ill or disabled people, or those who rely on power for medical equipment.
Tel: 0800 096 3080
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
Welsh Water
Welsh Water can provide a Welsh efficiency home visit to install free water efficiency products, check for leaks and refer you to someone who will fix it for free.
Website: Get Water Fit
Energy Saving Trust
Information and advice on making your home more energy efficient, reducing your carbon emissions and lowering your energy bills.
Webpage: Energy at Home
Great British Insulation Scheme
Support Available to receive free or cheaper insulation to reduce energy bills.
Tel: 0800 098 7950
Website: British Insulation Scheme
Ongoing Support
Newport City Council do offer various drop in surgeries to chat with the Cost of Living Teams about your specific situation and how they can best support you. Please have a look at their Facebook page, that is regularly updated with information on these sessions.
Facebook: Newport City Council
Alternatively you can make an appointment with one of their team via this email address: costofliving@newport.gov.uk
