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Heat network installation

The council has produced an Installation Guide to help new customers prepare for the heat network installation in your home.

Swaffham Prior Heat Network contractor, Bouygues Energies & Services UK are working alongside local heating engineers to make the heat network installation in your home. If you have completed the ‘book a connection survey’ form, we will soon contact you to arrange a pre-installation survey and installation date for your home.

Installation process:

Detail on each step can be found within the Installation Guide.

  • Step 1 – Half day pre-installation survey to finalise details
  • Step 2 – Survey report issued to you
  • Step 3 – Arrange installation
  • Step 4 – Prepare for installation
  • Step 5 – Installation and heat switched on
  • Step 6 – Oil tank and boiler removal
  • Step 7 – Heat engineer check-up
Installation process

The pre-installation survey report may make suggestions on how to improve the energy efficiency of your home, and identify any additional works recommended to support your new heating system.

  • Recommended additional works are not included within the free connection, undertaking these works to your home, is your choice.
  • The heat engineer will provide a no-obligation quote for any additional work recommended. You can also use the report recommendations to find your own contractor if preferred.
  • On some occasions the survey may identify additional work which will need to be completed before the heat network can be installed in your home.

Is funding available for additional works or home improvements?

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for funding to help with making home improvements or adaptations, lower running costs, or improving energy efficiency.

Cambs HIA is a not-for-profit organisation funded and supported by local and central government. They provide advice, support, and assistance to elderly, disabled and vulnerable people who own and live in their own property, or those in privately rented or housing association accommodation.

Cambs HIA can help you to repair, improve, maintain or adapt your home to meet your changing needs. The purpose of the service is to help people to remain independent, warm, safe and secure in their own homes.

What it funds

The grant available to carry out adaptations in your home is called a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). The maximum mandatory grant for disabled adaptations you can apply for is £30,000. The Home Improvement Agency will make an application for a grant to the relevant Grants Officer at your local authority. Your local authority may be able to help if the work you need costs more than this. Cambs HIA can also advise you about other sources of funding.

Eligibility

If you are receiving one of the following benefits, then you will usually automatically qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant:

  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Income Related Employment Support Allowance
  • Income based Job Seekers Allowance
  • Pension Credit Guarantee
  • Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit (subject to income threshold)
  • Universal Credits.

If you are not receiving any of the above benefits you need to provide full details of any income, savings or capital that you receive (if relevant) so that a means test can be completed to assess your eligibility.

How to apply

Please contact the Cambs Home Improvement Agency on 01954 713 330 or 01954 713 347 or email hia@cambshia.org.

Visit the Cambs Home Improvement Agency website

Support available for low-income households needing to convert from electric heating to connect to the Heat Network

The Government’s Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) is focused on improving the energy efficiency of off-gas grid, low-income households. This funding is available to upgrade homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower to achieve a C rating or higher. Funding can cover costs associated with converting from electric heating to central heating “wet system” which is required to connect to the heat network, as well as improvements to insulation.

Eligibility

Households with a combined income below £30,000 and an EPC rating of D-G are eligible for HUG funding. The primary focus is on E-G rated properties, but up to 30% of properties upgraded can be D rated.

How much funding is available?

This depends on the property’s current heating (oil or electric) and EPC rating and on the property ownership. Upgrades to owner occupied houses can be fully grant funded up to a maximum of £10,000-£25,000 depending on their EPC rating and current heating fuel (oil or electric).

In the case of properties rented from a private landlord, the landlord is expected to provide a minimum of 33% of the costs, so the maximum grant funding is £6,666-£16,666.