Residents across Mendip could benefit from free energy efficiency improvements worth up to £10,000 thanks to receiving a share of a multi-million pound Government-funded Green Homes Grant Programme, working with E.ON and Happy Energy Solutions.

Endorsed by Mendip District Council, under the Green Homes Grants Scheme, owner-occupiers will benefit from energy efficiency installations up to the value of £10,000 with nothing for them to pay towards the costs of works. Tenants of rented properties can also access grants of up to £5,000 for energy efficiency upgrades, but the landlord will be expected to contribute at least one third towards the cost of works.

To be eligible for the grants, the residents of the property must have a low income (receive benefits or have the household income below £30,000 per annum) and the EPC for the property must be rated D, E, F or G. If there is no EPC for your property, you can still apply and it doesn't matter who your energy supplier is. To find out if your property has an EPC see find-energy-certificate.digital.communities.gov.uk/

If you're struggling to keep your home warm and you think you might be eligible for some help, you can submit an application at the following website address: www.heatsomerset.co.uk/. If you qualify, Happy Energy Solutions will survey your home to assess which energy efficiency measures could be installed. The options will then be discussed with you for a final decision to be reached.

The scheme is expected to run until March 2022, but will operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Cllr Richard Pinnock, Portfolio Holder for Housing Services and Governance, said: "It's great that this grant exists to help ensure those on low-income can get access to vital home improvements, to ensure their home is warm, more energy efficient and affordable to live in."

Nigel Dewbery, Director of Residential Solutions at E.ON, said: "We're really pleased to be working with the South West Energy Hub to give eligible residents the opportunity to install a range of energy efficiency measures on their properties.

"This demonstrates E.ON's commitment to helping improve the energy efficiency of housing across the UK and reducing individual homeowners' impact on the environment, all helping to support our net-zero targets."