Domestic Energy Efficiency team FAQs

What grants are available for owner occupiers and private tenants towards the costs of insulation?

Ensuring that your home is properly insulated is one of the best ways save money on your fuel bills. Installing loft insulation could save you up to £220 a year. The type of property and when it was built will determine what type of wall insulation you can be fitted with but if you have cavity walls, getting them insulated could save you up to £160 a year. London Warm Zone work in partnership with the London Borough of Newham to offer free or discounted loft and cavity wall insulation.

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I am an accredited private landlord interested in improving the energy efficiency of my property. What assistance can the council offer?

There is assistance available at both local and national level which includes London Warm Zone grants and the Landlord's Enegry Saving Allowance (LESA) tex incentive. For more detail please refer to the Advice Pack for Private Landlords and Managing Agents and other items in the 'Documents' list on the right hand side of this webpage.

Does the council offer any grants towards the cost of installing domestic micro renewable technology (e.g. Solar Panels)?

The council does not currently offer assistance towards the cost of installing renewable technology. However, the Government has set up a national scheme called 'Feed-In Tariffs' (FITs). This pays the householder a set rate for every unit of electricity produced. For more details visit the website (by clicking on 'more details' below) or speak to the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on 0800 512 012 for the most up to date information. Please note that the installation of renewable technology is only recommended when a home is properly insulated.

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Does the council offer any grants towards the cost of double glazing?

There are currently no grants available towards the cost of double glazing.

What is domestic energy efficiency? And why is it important?

Too much of the energy we use in the home is wasted and it is costing us money. Domestic energy efficiency is about making sure that energy is not being wasted around the home. Everytime we use energy in our homes, carbon dioxide is being emmitted into the atmosphere which is increasing the greenhouse effect and causing climate change. This will effect all of us over the next few decades and so it is important try and ensure that we are only using the energy we really need from sources which produce the lease amount of CO2. Equally it will become more and more expensive to heat and power our homes as the cost of fuel rises. By making your home energy efficient you will be saving money as well as reducing the effect of climate change. You can improve the energy efficiency of your home by fitting cavity wall or loft insulation, using more efficient appliances and heating systems and making small changes in your daily lifestyle such as switching off appliances when they are not being used.

Are there any health risks from low energy lightbulbs?

Fluorescent technologies such as CFLs rely on a small mercury dose for their operation. The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (2002/95/EC) limits this to a maximum of 3 mg/lamp. A typical mercury thermometer has between 500 and 3000 milligrams of mercury, depending on its size. If a warm light bulb breaks then mercury is released into the atmosphere. Defra offers the following advice to consumers on this issue: "Although the accidental breakage of a lamp is most unlikely to cause any health problems, it's good practice to minimise any unnecessary exposure to mercury, as well as risk of cuts from glass fragments. Vacate the room and ventilate it for at least 15 minutes. Do not use a vacuum cleaner, but clean up using rubber gloves and aim to avoid creating and inhaling airborne dust. Sweep up all particles and glass fragments and place in a plastic bag. Wipe the area with a damp cloth, then add that to the bag and seal it. Mercury is hazardous and the bag should not be disposed of in the bin. All local councils have an obligation to make arrangements for the disposal of household hazardous waste at a civic amenity site or household waste recycling centre." For more information on CFL disposal please contact Shanks East London on 0800 389 9918 or go to the Recycling Team Webpage. There is increasing evidence to suggest that over the life time of both light bulb types, CFLs produce less mercury than GLS bulbs. This is due to the fact that mercury is emitted from power stations during electricity generation and CFLs are more energy efficient.No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use and they pose no danger when used properly. However, CFLs are made of glass tubing and can break if dropped or roughly handled.

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