Cosy Homes' story
Cosy Homes in Lancashire is a county wide energy and affordable warmth initiative developed by 14 Local Authorities in Lancashire, pulling together to help vulnerable residents. The region has one of the highest levels of fuel poverty in the UK, and the Cosy Homes scheme aims to help residents to not only keep warm but by saving energy (and greenhouse gas emissions), they will also save money.
Through the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery 2 (funded by BEIS), which ended in 2022, they improved insulation in homes through a fabric first approach:
* installing energy efficiency measures in 2200 properties over 2 years,
* reducing each home's carbon dioxide emissions from 6 tonnes to just over 1 tonne, and
* helping residents to save about £1200 on their fuel bills over 3 years.
In addition, they are provided a further 2,500 residents with energy saving advice.
The project currently has Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) phase 2 funding to install energy saving measures up to the value of £25,000 on properties which currently do not have gas central heating installed. This funding ends in March 2025, and the aim is to reach 1400 properties by this date.
Useful learnings from Cosy Homes
Many of the vulnerable residents who need to access the scheme do not have access to the internet, and so we promote the scheme by letters in addition to a web-form.
Cosy Homes in Lancashire is a partnership across local authorities, which provides the authorities with services they cannot deliver in-house, acting as a managing agent, supporting project formation, eligibility checks, providing advice to households and a website.
Cosy Homes has secured multiple funding sources (including LAD, HUG and Warm Homes Fund) and uses a centralised application process on their website to maximise the options to residents for funding opportunities.
Cosy Homes' metrics
Number of homes renovated.
Tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions saved per home.
£ saved from fuel bills.
Number of people trained in green jobs.
Number of homes with improved EPC band ratings.
