Cold weather payments and grants for heating and insulation

National schemes and benefits

• Cold weather payments – for those on a low income, during spells of exceptionally cold weather
• Winter fuel payments – for elderly people
• Green Deal - make energy-saving improvements without paying all the costs up front
• Warm Home Discount scheme – a £130 discount on your electricity bill.

Find out more about the financial help you can get, and practical tips about staying warm in winter:

• Heating and housing benefits – GOV.UK

Free local help for vulnerable people

Winter Home Check

• Free help to keep warm – the Winter Home Check Service

Our free service includes:

• a full assessment of your home to identify how to keep it warm
• small preventative works such as reducing drafts, improving insulation, clearing gutters, lagging pipes and clearing chimneys
• providing additional temporary heating.

Surviving Winter Grant

You can apply for this grant if you are in fuel poverty, which is when a household spends more than 10% of its income on fuel for home heating.

Local branches of Age UK and Citizens Advice Bureau are administrating the grant in East Sussex and will make a judgement as to the specific grant that would assist each individual, up to a maximum of £125 or in exceptional cases up to £250.

To apply for the grant, please contact any one of these agencies directly:

• Age UK Lewes – 01273 476704
• Hastings & Rother (1066) Citizens Advice Bureau – 01424 721420
• Lewes Citizens Advice Bureau – 01273 473082
• Eastbourne Citizens Advice Bureau – 01323 417177
• Rother Citizens Advice Bureau – 01424 215055
• Wealden Citizens Advice Bureau – 01825 764940

Please donate!

This grant is funded by public donation and East Sussex County Council:

• Surviving Winter Sussex Appeal.

Energy efficiency

Help from your local district or borough council

• Lewes District Council – Energy efficiency
• Eastbourne Borough Council – Energy Saving Grants and Discounts
• Hastings Borough Council – Energy efficiency
• Rother District Council – What energy efficiency grants are available?
• Wealden District Council – Energy grants and discount schemes.

If you are planning home improvements such as insulation, solar panels, a wind turbine or heat pump, you may be able to get some help with the cost.

Some energy efficiency grants are only available to people who receive a disability or income-related benefit, but there are many other types of funding that are available to all.

• Search for grants and offers – Energy Saving Trust.

Planning permission

Before applying for a grant or loan for the work you want to do, you will probably need planning permission:

• Lewes District Council – Planning
• Eastbourne Borough Council – Planning
• Hastings Borough Council – Planning
• Rother District Council – Planning and building control
• Wealden District Council – Planning and building control