The King has been crowned, every week seems short with bank holidays and there is sunshine in the back garden… May is here!

The heating is (for the most part) off, making this the perfect time to prepare for next winter. There is no stopping for Energy Projects Plus in the mission to help struggling community members to improve energy efficiency, tackle fuel poverty, and reduce carbon emissions. 

In this issue you will find: A Trusted Hands Film, a big hug, project updates, partner events, case studies and more.

Enjoy,

Melanie 

Do you know someone who needs a HUG?

• The second round of the “Home Upgrade Grant” (HUG) is available in Cheshire East, Cheshire West & Chester, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens, and Wirral, with an incredibly generous £25,000 maximum spend per property, on such energy efficient home improvement measures as insulation (loft, room-in-room, cavity wall, solid wall, under-floor), renewable technologies (solar photovoltaic (PV) panels) and low carbon heating (air source heat pumps).

Eligibility

• Homes must be using anything other than mains gas as their primary heating source (they can be connected to the gas network for cooking, or even for a gas fire or two, but not for central heating).
• Households must be on a low income*
• Properties must have an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D**, E, F or G. You can check this here: www.epcregister.com

• You receive an income related benefit (for example, Universal Credit, Pension Credit Guarantee, Council Tax Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Tax Credits)
• Your total combined annual household income before tax, National Insurance and other deductions is no more than £31,000
• Your total combined annual household income before tax, National Insurance and other deductions is no more than £20,000 after your housing costs have been deducted (by housing costs, we mean mortgage payments, rent payments and Council Tax)

1. Your total household income is below £30,000
2. Your total household income is above £30,000 but below the “minimum income” indicated using this online minimum income calculator: www.minimumincome.org.uk 

** Funding for D-rated properties is limited.

Either apply directly via the relevant Local Authority, or call our Save Energy Advice Line free on 0800 043 0151 if you have further questions, or would like assistance in applying.

The TechKnow project is designed to empower Wirral residents to ‘do digital’ their own way, safely. Energy Projects Plus is ready to help our community make sense of technology and resources related to saving energy, saving water, and reducing their carbon footprint.

With more and more essential services going online, digital knowhow is a life skill worth learning. To try to make energy, water, and carbon awareness services easier and more accessible for everyone, Energy Projects Plus is delivering a series of ‘Digital Drop-In Events’ to help navigate a set of useful links to give residents the support they need to make their digital life that little bit easier.

If you would like Energy Projects to join you for a digital inclusion event, or have any questions about the project, please email melanie.nolan@epplus.org

Mental Health Awareness

The cost of living crisis has caused a significant increase in households and individuals facing mental health issues. As a result Energy Projects Plus is expecting to seen an increase in the number of our clients facing these issues. 
 
We want to ensure that staff attending community events and home visits are more able to recognise clients who are struggling and be aware of how to offer our services in a way that enables them to engage to their best advantage.
 
As a result we have enrolled the majority of our staff on the Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Mental Health Problems, funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

We hope this course will help our already skilled Energy Advisors develop their understanding of mental health and the causes of mental distress.