At the UK Energy Efficiency Awards Ceremony held on 7 September in Birmingham, Ceredigion County Council’s ECO Flexibility Scheme won the award for the best Multi-Measure Project.
The aim of the Energy Efficiency Awards is to provide public recognition for the excellent work the Energy Efficiency sector is doing as it works to improve UK housing stock.
This Award recognises the efforts of those involved in the delivery of a successful large scale energy efficiency project, where multiple energy efficiency measures of more than one type had been installed. Ceredigion County Council was nominated for this award by E-on Energy through their close working relationship, along with City Energy, one of the main contractors delivering the installation.
The scheme has been up and running since beginning of the year, following the guidance for ECO LA Flex set out by the national government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). It has provided an ideal opportunity for Ceredigion County Council to engage with energy suppliers on how it meets its obligations to install energy efficiency measures in homes using ECO funding.
In Ceredigion, the scheme has proven to be extremely popular, in particular with areas that are not on a mains gas supply, i.e. rural villages. Over 2,300 applications have been received for the scheme since its commencement. With BEIS recognising this, it provided Ceredigion County Council with an opportunity to target households that were on low income and living in properties that were poorly insulated, resulting in them being hard to heat.
Councillor Alun Williams, Ceredigion County Council’s Champion for Sustainability said, “The winning of this award demonstrates that Ceredigion remains fully committed to the carbon management agenda and shows how our staff are prepared to put time and effort into helping our residents save energy and combat fuel poverty. Well done to the team of officers involved. I strongly encourage any residents who think that they may be eligible to benefit from the scheme to visit the Council website for more information. It could save you money by making your home more energy efficient.”
Installations that have helped improve the energy efficiency of households in Ceredigion include new heating systems, boiler replacements, loft insulation and room in roof insulation.
The Council’s role is to qualify applications and issue declarations to enable households to access the potential energy company obligation funding for works. The declaration does not in itself guarantee any funding or works - it is the passport to explore with ECO contractors as to what opportunities are available for the properties. A number of main contractors have been procured, these contractors work closely with the energy suppliers to obtain the ECO funding. Some local contractors have signed up with the larger companies in order to deliver the scheme locally.
For further information on the ECO LA Flex scheme, visit the webpage: http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/housing/financial-assistance/eco-flexibility-funding/.
19/09/2018