Stoke-on-Trent set to be awarded up to £7m government funding to tackle fuel poverty

Stoke-on-Trent is set to receive up to £7 million to improve the energy efficiency of low-income homes in the city.

The grant funding, which will come from the government’s Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme, will help to pay for energy efficiency improvements for home owners and private tenants who find themselves facing fuel poverty.

Improvements, which are likely to start from June 2025, include wall and loft insulation, solar panelling and heating systems which will ultimately make homes warmer and reduce energy bills.

The latest available figures show that nearly a quarter (24.7 per cent) of households in Stoke-on-Trent are in fuel poverty – this compares to the national average of 13.1 per cent and the West Midlands average of 19.6 per cent. It is also estimated that there are over 60,000 homes in the city with low energy efficiency.

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing and planning at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Everybody deserves the right to live in a safe and warm home and we are already making significant improvements to council-owned homes to ensure this is the case for all our residents.

“The government’s Warm Homes funding will enable us to build on these efforts by providing us with an opportunity to support residents living in private housing in the city, particularly those who are impacted by fuel poverty.”

Cllr Robinson added: “We expect these improvements will help to reduce energy bills, raise housing standards and reduce carbon emissions. They will also build on the fantastic work which has already been delivered by our private sector housing team who have a proven track record of success when it comes to delivering similar schemes.”

Over the last four years, the council’s private sector housing team has successfully delivered a number of schemes aimed at improving the energy efficiency rates of homes in Stoke-on-Trent.

This includes the Local Authority Delivery Schemes (LAD) phases two and three that saw 375 improvement measures delivered at 290 properties in the city.

The city council’s cabinet is set to agree to accept the Warm Homes grant at a meeting on Tuesday 25 February. The council will find out exactly how much it has been awarded from government in the next few weeks and information on how to apply for funding will follow in due course.