Get advice and financial help if you're a tenant, landlord or homeowner that can help make your home warmer, more energy efficient and reduce your energy bills.

There are many services that can help you reduce your bills and maintain your home.  

You can:  

• Check if you’re eligible for housing related benefits 
• Find warm spaces 
• Check if you’re eligible for cost of living payments 
• Request help with jobs around the house if you’re older or disabled from our handperson service 
• Contact the team to request a health visit if you’re worried about hazards like excess damp and mould in your private rented home 

Help with energy costs

Big London Energy Switch 

A cooperative energy switching scheme that allows you the opportunity to see whether you can get a better deal on gas and electricity. The cooperative may get lower prices from energy suppliers because it has more purchasing power. This is available to all residents. 

Sign up on the Big London Energy Switch website 

Royal Borough of Greenwich home improvement programme  

If you live in Greenwich and are over 60, or receive disability benefit, you can apply for a £5,000 grant to make essential repairs or improvements to your home. If the building work is over £5,000, we can offer an interest free loan of up to £25,000 for the remaining costs.  

If you are eligible we will: 

• let you know what work will be covered by the grant 
• appoint a building contractor from our list of preferred contractors to carry out the work 
• will manage the building contract for you 

The grant will be paid directly to the contractor once the work is done. 

To apply email home-improvement@royalgreenwich.gov.uk or phone 020 8921 2614 

Make your home more energy efficient

A retrofit is any work that helps improve the energy efficiency of a building. This makes them easier to heat and stay warmer for longer and helps replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.  

Energy efficiency grants for tenants, landlords and property owners 

Energy Company Obligation 4 scheme (ECO4) 

A government scheme that gets energy suppliers to help with the cost of improving a home's energy efficiency. Suppliers must provide grants to pay the whole cost or some of the cost of improvements including insulation. 

Tenants may be able to have ECO4 measures installed if you: 

• meet the relevant eligibility criteria 
• gain consent from your landlord  

Suppliers may request evidence that you have the landlord’s permission before doing this in a privately rented property. You can evidence using the ECO4 Eligibility Requirements Form. Suppliers may need further evidence requirements in relation to PRS properties.

Review the eligibility criteria and the statement of intent (PDF).

Find out more on the Energy Company Obligation website. 

Email futurefithomes@selce.org.uk or call 020 4529 6011 with any questions.

Energy efficiency grants for landlords and property owners 

South East London Community Energy (Selce)

Selce are supporting Greenwich residents to future-proof their homes by providing a personalised service. They can help you plan, finance and deliver upgrades. This service is free for households eligible for ECO4 and offered at a subsidised rate to those who do not qualify for funding.

Register your interest for your own home, to get involved as an energy champion in your neighbourhood or to partner with us in your community.

You can also register your interest by emailing futurefithomes@selce.org.uk or calling 020 4566 5764 and selecting option 2.

Love your loft

Get personalised support on loft insulation and home improvements through consultations, home assessments and loft installation subsidies (available until funding lasts).

This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

For any further questions, email sustainability@royalgreenwich.gov.uk or futurefithomes@selce.org.uk. 

Solar Together 

Register your interest in the Solar Together scheme to join with other households to pay for solar panels by visiting the Solar Together Greenwich site. 

Boiler Upgrade Scheme 

Get a government grant that helps cover part of the cost of replacing fossil fuel heating systems with a heat pump. The grant provides £5,000 for the air source heat pump and installation, or £6,000 for a ground source heat pump. Approved installers will apply for the grant on your behalf. 

Check eligibility for the boiler upgrade scheme. 

VAT exemption 

Between April 2022 and April 2027 the cost of purchasing and installing some home energy-efficiency improvements will be VAT exempt. This will lower the cost of certain measures by up to 20%. 

The exemption is applied for by the contractors who supply and install energy efficiency and heating equipment. Ask suppliers to confirm whether VAT exemption applies to any works you are asking them to quote for. 

Visit GOV.UK for guidance on VAT for energy saving materials and heating equipment 

Energy efficiency grants for tenants and property owners 

Warmer Homes 

Warmer home services can give advice on what financial help is available, how to heat your home and energy or water debt. 

Find out more about warmer home services  

Simple Energy Advice 

Get recommendations about energy use and home improvements. Find out more on the Simple Energy Advice website 

Energy efficiency grant for people who live in a home they own

Home Upgrade Grant

If you do not use a gas boiler to heat your home, you can apply for free energy saving improvements. 

If you’re eligible, we’ll arrange a home survey to see how your home could be made more energy efficient. 

For example, this could be by installing:

• wall, loft and underfloor insulation
• air source heat pumps
• electric radiators

We’ll then organise and pay for any improvement work agreed. If you do not live in Royal Greenwich, your own local council will do this.

Check your eligibility and apply for the Home Upgrade Grant.

Landlord energy compliance

On 1 April 2020, it became illegal to rent out a property if it’s for an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G. Unless a valid exemption has been registered on the PRS Exemptions register. 

Landlords must ensure their rental properties meet the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES).

Advice for landlords on energy efficiency regulations for privately rented homes. 

Some landlords may be eligible for the governments Energy Company Obligation 4 scheme (ECO4) or other schemes which could pay for or subsidise improvements.