highland council fuel support fund
As this is a cash-limited fund, the Scheme will close on February 28. The Fund has offered Highland Council 1 million of grant funding to be spent over 2022/23 and 2023/24 with the option to extend funding to 2024/25 if necessary. Draught proofing kits, carpets, and thermal curtains and door fittings have been provided to help keep homes warm. All rights reserved. Aberdeen Journals Ltd 2023. Subscribe to The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community. Warm Home Discounts equivalent to 140 per annum off household energy bills are available from some energy suppliers for those on low income. Council tax rules mean that there are some individuals on a low income who are exempt from council tax and therefore not entitled to council tax reduction. Highland Council and SSE Renewables team up to offer support to those facing extreme fuel poverty02 Dec 2022. Households in the Highland who are on low income and experiencing fuel insecurities as a result of COVID-19 can apply for a Fuel Support Fund from The Highland Council. The 270,000 Fuel Support Fund has been set up by the Council using Scottish Government funding which can be used flexibly to alleviate financial insecurities. The Scottish Government grant is available for owner occupiers and private rented properties subject to eligibility (see table below), grant funding cannot be used to cover installation costs for social properties (either Council or Registered Landlord). For example, 62% of the properties currently signed up for the 2022/23 air source heat pump programme are classed as extreme fuel poor. Households in the Highland who are on low income and experiencing fuel insecurities as a result of COVID-19 can apply for a Fuel Support Fund from The Highland Council. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. For details on how to sign up for the programme visit Highland Councils dedicated webpage. Applications for the fuel support fund can be made online via the councils website at or by calling the welfare support team on 0800 090 1004. The 270,000 Fuel Support Fund has been set up by the Council using Scottish Government funding which can be used flexibly to alleviate financial insecurities. The 270,000. Call free on 0800 090 1004 or email welfare.support@highland.gov.uk. Council leader Councillor Margaret Davidson said: Sadly, as a result of Covid-19, an increasing number of households in Highland are experiencing fuel insecurities. Warm Home Discounts equivalent to 140 per annum off household energy bills are available from some energy suppliers for those on low income. Households in the Highland who are on low income and experiencing fuel insecurities as a result of COVID-19 can apply for a Fuel Support Fund from The Highland Council. Highland Councils fuel support fund is to be extended until March, councillors have agreed. Low income . Automatically populate forms with your details. Thousands of vulnerable people in the north could miss out on cash support to ease the impact of soaring fuel bills after the local authority insisted applications be made online. The Fund has offered Highland Council 1m of grant funding to be spent over 2022/23 and 2023/24 with the option to extend funding to 2024/25 if necessary. Could you spare five minutes of your time to complete our survey, it will help us improve customer experience. (LogOut/ Without EES:ABS there is currently no other long-term support to households in fuel poverty and those vulnerable to living with the effects of a cold home. Applications for a directFuel Support Payment are now closed. If you were eligible but did not apply for a direct payment, your Council Tax account will have been credited and a new Council Tax bill issued to confirm. The 1 million investment in improving energy efficiency for Highland households is the largest donation made by the fund. The Councils head of revenues and business support will therefore look at these claims on an individual basis so that awards can be made to those who are eligible.. The 270,000 Fuel Support Fund has been set up by the Council using Scottish Government funding which can be used flexibly to alleviate financial insecurities. Highland Council has been delivering the Scottish Governments Energy Efficiency Scotland Area Based Scheme for over nine years, which offers households the opportunity to benefit from grant funded innovative, energy efficiency measures, which have the potential to improve peoples living conditions. In some cases, the energy bill vouchers have been allowing families to pay off their debts. To enable payments to be made to all those eligible, it has been necessary to collect details from some households. The Highland Council letter, sent to over 16,000 eligible constituents, stated: To receive your 180 payment, you must complete our online form.. It was therefore not feasible to include their number on the letters., Despite the letters stating residents must make their claim online, the council added: Customers who prefer to make contact by telephone can use one of our many telephone numbers that are well established and freely available.. All Rights Reserved. Households in the Highlands who are on low income and experiencing fuel insecurities as a result of Covid-19 can apply for a Fuel Support Fund grant from Highland Council. We are delighted to announce the arrival of grant support from SSE Renewables which, through the area-based scheme, will help us deliver efficiency savings to those households most in need.. The good news is that we still have some funding left and we are very eager to make sure this gets to households in need. Low income households within Highland experiencing fuel insecurities can apply for a non-repayable 60 grant. More than 85,000 worth of vouchers and equipment have been distributed to families across the area, helping their tenants to reduce their This site uses cookies. 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This comes in addition to other support mechanisms, such as the 400 discount to energy bills from the UK Government over the winter months. We had contact with one mum who had been very distressed about the cost of energy and providing for her children. Councillor Matthew Reiss, vice chairman of the councils corporate resources committee, said 5,400 applications had been received in total. The 270,000 Fuel Support Fund has been set up by the council using Scottish Government funding which can be used flexibly to alleviate financial insecurities. Large sections of the Highland population do not have access to mains gas and are reliant on more expensive sources of domestic heating such as oil, wood, coal, and wood pellets. The 270,000 Fuel Support Fund has been set up by the Council using Scottish Government funding which can be used flexibly to alleviate financial insecurities. The Councils head of revenues and business support will therefore look at these claims on an individual basis so that awards can be made to those who are eligible.. The programme, on average, has annual carbon savings of 20,897 tonnes (pre-COVID figure), making a significant contribution to a low carbon Highland. Over the last nine years the scheme has leveraged around 34 million of external funding to the Highlands to deliver energy efficiency measures to over 3,100 privately owned and privately rented properties throughout the Highlands. Highland Council has therefore decided to use part of the Governments funding to set up a fuel support fund for those who are having difficulties paying for fuel for their homes.. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. This is where the SSE Renewables Grant can help those experiencing extreme fuel poverty. A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox. He added that in response to the unprecedented demand from Highland residents in need of financial and other support, the council has increased welfare staff numbers and set up a dedicated fuel support telephone number, enabling households to call 01349 781990 to provide their details. At a time when bills are skyrocketing, we cannot delay getting this money into the hands of those who need it most.. Sign-up to Scotland's myaccount so you can pay for council services online and report things to us. At a full council meeting on Friday,. The Councils Head of Revenues and Business Support will therefore look at these claims on an individual basis so that awards can be made to those who are eligible.. Find out more in the video here: https://vimeo.com/777370114/eda07cc990, Chair of the Sustainable Development Fund. This site uses cookies. Highland Council and SSE Renewables are joining forces to help Highland households facing extreme fuel poverty make energy saving adaptations to their homes. Council tax rules mean that there are some individuals on a low income who are exempt from council tax and therefore not entitled to council tax reduction. nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism. Households are advised to contact their energy supplier to check eligibility. Where appropriate, eligible applicants will be awarded a grant from the Scottish Welfare Fund before being considered for a grant from the local Fuel Support Fund. An outline of 1.4 miles of Green Bay Road in Highland Park that is set for an overhaul beginning in 2024 or 2025. Where appropriate, eligible applicants will be awarded a grant from the Scottish Welfare Fund before being considered for a grant from the local Fuel Support Fund. Signing-up gives you the following: Single sign on for all council services (not including eplanning) Save forms for completion later. Highland Council is set to receive an allocation from this fund in order to mitigate the fuel challenges faced by residents in the region. The 270,000 Fuel Support Fund has been set up by the Council using Scottish Government funding which can be used flexibly to alleviate financial insecurities. The 270,000 Fuel Support Fund has been set up by the council using Scottish Government funding which can be used flexibly to alleviate financial insecurities.