Energy Grants in Nottingham

Energy Grants & Fuel Poverty in Nottingham

Nottingham has been a pioneer of municipal energy for over 50 years. The city's district heating network — originally laid in the 1970s and expanded through successive council administrations — now serves over 5,000 homes and 100 public buildings, making it one of the largest in the UK. This infrastructure heritage gives Nottingham a distinctive advantage in the transition to net zero: properties connected to the network already have lower carbon heating than most UK homes. But for the 135,000+ households not on the network, individual property improvements through ECO4 remain essential. The council's ambitious 2028 carbon neutrality target — the earliest of any English city — drives an urgency to its retrofit programme.

Nottingham has one of the UK's largest district heating networks, serving 5,000+ homes, and was the first English city to set a 2028 carbon neutrality target.

How ECO4 Works in Nottingham

Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP), the council's delivery partner for ECO4 LA Flex, evolved from the city's former municipal energy company Robin Hood Energy. NEP combines energy advice, supplier switching, and ECO4 referrals in a single service — meaning households that contact NEP about high energy bills are automatically assessed for ECO4 eligibility. This integrated approach has proved remarkably effective: 68% of households contacting NEP about energy bills are found to be eligible for at least one ECO4 measure, and 42% go on to receive insulation or heating improvements. NEP also excludes student HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) from LA Flex referrals, ensuring funding is directed to permanent residents most in need.

Available Grants in Nottingham

Residents in the Nottingham City Council area can access several government-funded energy efficiency schemes:

ECO4 Scheme

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) provides 100% free energy improvements to households receiving qualifying benefits. Measures include loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, solid wall insulation, boiler replacements, solar panels, and air source heat pumps. Your property needs an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G. In Nottingham, 4,560 ECO4 measures have been installed to date, with Loft insulation (29%) being the most common.

Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)

The GBIS provides free or heavily subsidised insulation to properties in council tax bands A-D (England). No means test is required — eligibility is based on your property, not your income.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers £7,500 towards an air source heat pump or £5,000 towards a ground source heat pump. Available to all homeowners in England and Wales with a valid EPC certificate.

Warm Home Discount

A £150 discount on your electricity bill each winter. Most eligible households receive this automatically.

Local Energy Efficiency in Nottingham

Nottingham's Victorian terraces in Radford, Hyson Green, and Basford form the city's primary target area for ECO4. These neighbourhoods, built to house lace-making and textile workers in the 1880s-1900s, contain some of the largest contiguous areas of pre-1919 terraced housing in the East Midlands. The council's area-based approach identifies streets where 60%+ of properties have EPC ratings of D or below, then works systematically along each street to offer ECO4 assessments to every household. This street-by-street model reduces installation costs (scaffolding can be shared between adjacent properties) and creates visible neighbourhood improvement that encourages remaining households to participate. In Radford, the completion rate for approached streets now exceeds 70% — well above the national average.

EPC Ratings in Nottingham

Based on analysis of 116,800 EPC certificates in the Nottingham City Council area:

53% of assessed properties in Nottingham have an EPC rating of D or below — above the national average, suggesting substantial potential for ECO4-funded upgrades. The area's fuel poverty rate of 16.8% affects approximately 23,600 households, significantly above the national average of 13.1%.

Housing Stock Profile

The Nottingham area has 140,200 households. The most common construction type is Victorian red brick terraces, with an average build year of 1940.

Type	Share
Terraced	36%
Semi-detached	26%
Flat	22%
Detached	10%
Bungalow	6%

Most Common ECO4 Measures in Nottingham

Based on 4,560 installations to date:

• Loft insulation
• Cavity wall insulation
• Boiler replacement
• District heating

Average annual energy bill saving after ECO4 improvements: £630

LA Flex Eligibility — Nottingham

Even if you don't receive qualifying benefits, you may still qualify for ECO4 through the Local Authority Flexible Eligibility (LA Flex) route.

Local Installers in Nottingham

There are 32 TrustMark-registered installers and 11 MCS-certified renewable energy installers serving the Nottingham area. All ECO4 work must be carried out by TrustMark-registered contractors working to PAS 2030/2035 quality standards.

Key areas served: Radford, Hyson Green, Basford, St Ann's, Sneinton

Nottingham Energy Strategy

UK's first carbon-neutral aspiring city (2028 target). District heating serves 5,000 homes. Former municipal energy company now Nottingham Energy Partnership.

How to Apply in Nottingham

1. Check your eligibility — Enter your postcode above or use our eligibility checker
2. Get matched with local installers — We'll connect you with TrustMark-registered, PAS 2030/2035-certified installers in Nottingham
3. Free home survey — An assessor visits to evaluate your property and recommend measures
4. Installation — Approved contractors carry out the work at no cost, usually within 4-8 weeks

You can also contact Nottingham City Council directly: https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/energy or call 0115 915 5555.

Frequently Asked Questions — Nottingham