Home energy efficiency
Making your home more energy efficient has a variety of benefits. It will not only help to reduce your carbon footprint, which is a crucial step in helping to tackle the climate emergency, but it could save you hundreds of pounds on your energy bills and help you to keep a warmer, happier, healthier home.
Home energy efficiency is ranked by Energy Performance Certificates (EPC ratings) from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). EPCs are available for homes that are either rented or have been sold in the past 10 years. You can quickly look up your homes EPC rating through the Government's EPC web page.
Approximately two thirds of Dacorum’s homes are below an EPC rating of C, which means that the majority could have improvements made to make them much more energy efficient.
Advice and support
Hertfordshire Energy Advice Tool (HEAT) app
We are the first council in the UK to partner with Energy Saving Trust to provide a free app to help Hertfordshire residents make energy savings.
The Hertfordshire Energy Advice Tool (HEAT) app gives a quick, virtual tour around a typical home, asking a range of questions. Based on the answers, simple, low or no-cost actions are suggested and a tailored advice report can be emailed, providing you with a summary of the potential energy and money savings.
The average saving from using the HEAT app is estimated to be £70 a year.
The HEAT app is free for Hertfordshire residents:
Download on Google Play
Download on Apple's App Store.
Quick wins for saving energy at home
The Energy Savings Trust and Uswitch have also outlined a wide range of quick and easy actions that you can take today to help make your home more energy efficient - whether it is turning your thermostat down a degree, getting LED lightbulbs or turning your appliances off at the wall rather than keeping on standby.
Our energy-saving advice leaflet also has quick tips for how you can be more energy efficient at home: 
Energy Saving Leaflet (PDF 711KB).
Better Housing Better Health
- Access to free, impartial advice
- Routes to energy bill discounts
- Grants and funding for energy efficiency measures
- Measures such as insulation or new heating systems for qualifying private residents
- Access to other support services.
Telephone: 0800 1070044
Email: bhbh@nef.org.uk
Website: www.bhbh.org.uk
Grants and funding
Home Upgrade Grant: Phase 2
The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2) is a new Government grant scheme. It funds energy-saving upgrades for residents with off-gas heating systems. Find out more and see if you qualify.
Solar Together Hertfordshire
Solar Together Hertfordshire is an innovative new scheme offering high-quality solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and battery storage. It is a group-buying scheme, which brings Hertfordshire households together to get high-quality solar panels at a competitive price, helping you through the process and keeping you informed at every stage. Find out more about the scheme.
ECO funding
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a Government scheme to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty. Under ECO, energy suppliers fund the installation of energy-efficiency measures in British homes. The obligated energy suppliers work with installers to introduce certain efficiency measures into your home, such as loft or wall insulation, or heating measures.
What improvements can I get?
If you meet certain criteria, you could be eligible for low-cost or free home energy efficiency improvements, such as:
- Loft insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
- Under floor insulation
- Room in roof insulation
- External wall insulation
Am I eligible?
You may be able to receive ECO Flex funding towards home energy efficiency if you meet the eligibility criteria in our ECO Flex Statement of Intent (see below). In most cases, you need to own the property or be renting privately, the household income should be less than £31,000 per year and the property should have an Energy Performance Certificate rated E to G.
Past copies of this information can be found here:
Minimum energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector
Since April 2020, all tenancies must have a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) energy rating of E under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015. The minimum standard is set to increase to an EPC energy rating of D by 2025 and C by 2030.
A home is required to have an EPC rating when it is constructed, sold or let. This is an example of an EPC. If you are letting a property, check the EPC rating in case you need to make improvements.
The Government website provides landlords with guidance on complying with the regulations.
Our grants page has more information about additional funding that may be available to you.
Staying safe from rogue traders
Don't fall foul of rogue traders pretending to be working with us on home improvement schemes.
Whether you’re upgrading your home through a Government scheme or with your own funds, follow the advice below to stay safe:
Home Energy Conservation Act progress report
The report provides an update on progress made since April 2019 and outlines our plans from April 2021 until March 2023.
Contact us
Email: climate.action@dacorum.gov.uk
Telephone: 01442 228000
