Homes in Eden could see the highest rise in energy costs in mainland England this year.
The council’s housing boss says this could be due to the traditional construction of properties in rural areas and has highlighted the support available.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed that homes in Eden could see an increase in the cost of energy from £1,056 to £1,996 a year.
Eden District Council’s housing and health portfolio holder Judith Derbyshire said: “It is something the council has been working on for quite a while. A lot of properties in rural areas you can’t do cavity wall insulation and the rural properties tend to be off gas.”
Many properties in rural Eden are stone built and therefore difficult to heat, leading to high energy bills for owners.
The council has run a number of schemes to support families facing the challenges of heating rural properties and the rising cost of energy. Ms Derbyshire said: “We started with Warm Homes Eden and then the Government started the Green Homes Grant. We’ve been giving that money out.”
Green Homes Grants provide funding for decarbonisation upgrades and to improve the efficiency of homes.
Carlisle City Council is leading a consortium of Cumbrian councils on a £19 million Sustainable Warmth Grants scheme.
The chief executive of Citizens Advice Carlisle and Eden, Andy Auld, said: “Families are finding it hard to balance their household budgets — cuts to Universal Credit and the rise of inflation are both factors in this. However, the most significant recent increase in expenditure is fuel.
“In the past few years a lot of work has gone into making people in Eden aware of energy efficiency measures available. However, the reality is that even with these measures in place the massive increase in fuel costs means that many households will see fuel bills almost double in the next year.”
For more information on the Sustainable Warmth Grants visit the carlisle.gov.uk website. For information on the Green Homes Grant from Eden, visit www.eden.gov.uk/housing/housing-support-and-grants/green-homes-grant
