I
f you spend more than 10% of your income to regularly heat your home, you are considered to be in fuel poverty. You can
find out more about fuel poverty on Welsh Government’s website.
You could reduce your household energy bills by making some changes to your daily habits. You can find energy saving tips on
Climate Action Wales’s website.
If you are finding it difficult to pay your gas and electricity bills, please contact your supplier. They may be able to help with:
- a full payment plan review,
- affordable debt repayment plans,
- payment breaks,
- payment reductions,
- more time to pay, or
- access to hardship funds.
Switching supplier
You could reduce your energy bills by switching your tariff or supplier. You can find more information about
switching energy suppliers on Ofgem’s website. You do not need to own your home to switch suppliers.
Money Advice Team
Phone: 02920 871 071
Email: advicehub@cardiff.gov.uk
Pre-payment meters
You could find it easier to manage your energy bills by asking your supplier to install a pre-payment meter. A pre-payment meter lets you pay as you go for the energy you use. You will not be charged more than customers on direct billing.
An updated code of practice has recently been introduced by Ofgem, to explain the new rules that suppliers must follow before pre-payment meters are installed in homes.
Understanding your fuel bills
If you are finding it difficult to read or understand your energy bills, National Energy Action (NEA) have leaflets that can show you:
You can view the different ways you could improve your home’s energy efficiency.
Welsh Government Warm Homes Nest Scheme
You can get advice about energy efficiency from The Warm Homes Nest Scheme. They can also offer improvements if you are eligible for them.
ECO4 (The Energy Company Obligation)
If you own or privately rent you home, you could get funding for energy efficiency improvements. You can find out more on
Ofgem’s website.
Connected for Warmth
You could get funding towards loft and cavity wall insulation if your home is:
- an A to D council tax band, or
- Energy Performance Certificate rating C or below
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
If you own your home, you could get a grant of up to £6000 to upgrade your heating to a more efficient system. You can find out more on
GOV UK’s website.
The Great British Insulation Scheme
You could get free home insulation if:
- you are on a low income,
- your home has an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D or below, or
- your home is an A to D council tax band.
Warm Wales
Warm Wales can offer free advice and support to all residents in Wales. You can find out more on
Warm Wales’s website.
A build-up of moisture in your home could result in mould. You can avoid this by both heating and ventilating your home.
You could reduce the moisture in your home by:
- keeping the lids on pans when you cook,
- drying clothes outside instead of on a radiator,
- venting your tumble dryer outside,
- avoiding using paraffin heaters or bottled gas heaters, and
- taking cooler showers and baths.
You can let moist air out of your home and fresh air in, by:
- using extractor fans to get rid of moist air and reduce condensation build up, and
- keeping your kitchen or bathroom door shut and windows open when cooking or bathing.
You could improve your home’s warmth by:
- installing loft insulation (to the recommended depth of 270mm),
- draught-proofing your windows and doors,
- installing cavity wall insulation if your home is suitable for it, and
- installing double glazing on draughty windows
You should also heat rooms that you do not use, as colder rooms are more likely to get damp and mould. A healthy home temperature is between 18 to 23 degrees Celsius.
You could get a grant from
Smart Export Guarantee if you are interested in generating your own electricity from:
- solar,
- wind,
- hydro, or
- ground or air heat.
Funding is available to private tenure households (owner-occupier and private rental) for energy efficiency measures.
You may be eligible if you have a household income less than £31k and live in an energy-inefficient home.
Cardiff Council has partnered with EON on the delivery of ECO4 LA Flex. All applications should be made via
EON website, or by phone.
Phone: 0333 202 4422
The Statement of Intent sets out Cardiff Council’s flexible eligibility criteria for ECO4 LA Flex:
Cardiff Council ECO Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent
Please note that meeting the Council’s flexible eligibility criteria, and the issuing of a Declaration by Cardiff Council, does not guarantee the installation of measures. The final decision will lie with the Energy Supplier who will fund and deliver installations.