A Government-backed scheme called ECO4 allows park home owners to get free eco grants to upgrade their homes’ energy efficiency. We profile a company that can sort everything out for you too…

In the push to make homes more energy efficient, the government has asked energy companies to put aside 20 per cent of their profits each year into a special fund, which is then used to give grants for upgrading homes. These upgrades can range from adding extra insulation to walls or roofs to even fitting more energy-efficient boilers or heat pumps. Plus, there’s no ceiling on the cost of the work for any particular home, so you could end up with tens of thousands of pounds worth of energy upgrades to your home, at no cost to you.

So, what’s the catch? Well, the grants are only available for those who are on some type of benefit, ranging from Income Support to Universal Credit. The good news is that, if you are a retired park home owner receiving Pension Credits, then you may also qualify for the grants.

Everything’s done for you
Perhaps even better news is the fact that a company called ECO Energy Me has been set up to co-ordinate all the work, from initially checking if you qualify for a grant to sending out specialist contractors to carry out the work. We spoke to the team behind the company and they explained that they have already been working to upgrade traditional homes across the country for several years, with the Government’s ECO4 scheme kicking in just over a year ago, replacing previous grant schemes.
They also explained that there’s also a new ECO+ scheme on the horizon, with grants that are even easier to apply for.

SPECIAL FINANCE SCHEMES
Even if you are not on any form of benefit, ECO Energy Me may still be able to help you upgrade your home by using special finance schemes to cover the cost of the work carried out by their contractors.

In the best-case scenario, the money you pay each month to pay for this work after it has been completed will be more than matched by the money you save on your energy bills each month, plus you get to live in a cozier-feeling home.

At the time of writing, ECO Energy Me are just waiting for Government departments to sign off a paper on ‘best practice’ when it comes to insulating park homes, before they can start doing the energy upgrade works under the grant scheme.

By the time you read this, the scheme could well be up and running and ECO Energy Me say that the whole process, from initially contacting them to see if you qualify for a grant, to actually having the work done on your home, can take as little as six weeks, since they have a team of specialist contractors working all over the UK.

How do I apply?

It’s very easy to apply for this scheme, you just need to visit the website at: www.ecoenergyme.com.

Here you will see an online form you can fill in with your details. The website also has full information about the scheme, including the full list of benefits that will qualify you to take part in the grant scheme.

When it comes to park homes, while they wait for the final Government sign-off, ECO Energy Me are just creating a database of potential customers once they apply via the website.

As soon as approval is given, the company will then contact everyone who qualifies and arrange for the works to take place.

We plan to bring you a report on one of the first park homes to be upgraded under this scheme in a future issue, so watch this space!

Info point
For full details of the grants scheme, and to apply, visit Eco Energy Me’s website at: www.ecoenergyme.com