Home energy efficiency and support
Improving your home’s energy efficiency can reduce energy bills, cut carbon emissions, and improve comfort all year round. Energy-efficient homes are warmer, healthier, and cheaper to run, especially where heating relies on fossil fuels.
Energy efficiency advice
There are many simple ways to improve efficiency, including draught-proofing, insulation, and more efficient use of heating systems. Even small changes can deliver meaningful savings.
Free, impartial advice is available from organisations such as the Energy Saving Trust and National Energy Foundation, offering guidance on reducing energy use, switching tariffs, and accessing support.
- Homewise helps households create a free, personalised energy improvement plan based on their home.
- Locally, Better Housing Better Health service provides tailored advice, home energy surveys, and support accessing funding. This service helps residents improve home warmth, reduce bills, and tackle fuel poverty.
You can also download our guide to simple, low-cost measures to conserve energy:
Low-cost ways to save energy in your home - pdf - 473 Kb
Grants and funding
A range of grants and schemes are available to support energy efficiency improvements, particularly for lower-income households or less efficient homes.
Provides fully funded upgrades such as insulation, solar panels, and low-carbon heating. Typically, available to households earning £36,000 or less (or receiving benefits) and living in homes with EPC ratings between D and G. Further details are available via Oxfordshire County Council retrofit support pages.
ECO and Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) Funding
ECO and Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) funding scheme closure.
The Government has announced the closure of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) and GBIS scheme for energy efficiency measures. The GBIS scheme will end on 31 March 2026. ECO4 will close on the 31 December 2026, extending the deadline to allow suppliers to meet existing targets.
Residents can contact the Better Housing Better Health service (BHBH) for advice on current energy efficiency grant funding schemes. BHBH can be contacted on the freephone number 0800 107 0044 which is open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, excluding Bank Holidays.
Additional support
Further help is available for those not eligible for fully funded schemes. Advice services can help identify cost-effective improvements and partial funding routes.
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme – Provides grants to support installation of low-carbon heating systems such as heat pumps and biomass boilers, helping reduce emissions and long-term energy costs.
- Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) – Landlords can access support to ensure rental properties meet required EPC levels. Guidance is available through West Oxfordshire District Council housing pages.
Additional retrofit advice and funding opportunities are also available through Oxfordshire County Council resources, covering insulation, heating upgrades, and whole-house retrofit planning.
Next steps
Residents are encouraged to:
- Check eligibility for grants and funding schemes.
- Seek tailored advice from trusted services.
- Undertake a home energy assessment to identify the most effective improvements.
By combining practical measures, expert advice and available funding, households can reduce costs, improve comfort, and support West Oxfordshire’s transition to a low-carbon future.