Frequently Asked Questions

About the scheme

What is Warm Up Bristol?
It’s a Bristol City Council backed intiative designed to help all Bristol residents save money on their energy bills and encourage the reduction of carbon emissions through energy efficiency improvements. Warm Up Bristol will provide assessments on the energy performance of homes, identify potential improvements, and provide options and advice for grant funding.

Will the initiative be available to residents outside of Bristol?
The scheme is currently only available to owner occupier and privately rented properties within the Bristol City Council area. Our Private Rented Sector offer is also available to private landlords and tenants (with landlords approval) in South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

Will there be a loan or finance option available to help me pay for the installation?
This initiative is based on the Government’s Green Deal scheme which has a finance option available to customers (Green Deal Finance), which enables customers to take out a loan based on the estimated amount they will save on their energy bills as a result of having energy efficiency measures installed.  Green Deal Finance loans are repaid by an additional charge attached to your property’s electricity meter.
Sometimes this loan will not be able to cover the full cost of an installation through the Green Deal, in which case customers are welcome to use their own finance to make up the difference. In addition to Green Deal Finance, low income customers and some private landlords may be able to access low cost loan finance via Wessex Home Improvement Loans – please speak to the team at Warm Up Bristol to find out more about this offer and whether you qualify.

What measures can I install through this initiative?
As this is a Green Deal scheme, there are a wide range of measures available through the Green Deal are available to customers – see the full list of Green Deal Measures.

How is Bristol City Council funding this?
Bristol City Council was successful in obtaining a central government grant of £7.3 million to support the installation of energy efficiency measures for certain types of properties and certain tenures. Due to the conditions of the grant funding, support for all measures is not available to everyone across Bristol at this moment in time.
In addition, Bristol City Council has successfully negotiated additional grant support from EDF Energy, who will provide funding for all eligible Green Deal measures under the Energy Company Obligation.
Whatever funding is available at any given time, Bristol City Council and our delivery partners will always offer you, the customer, the best deal available for your property type, tenure, location and personal circumstances.

Is Bristol City Council using local taxes to help fund this work?
No local taxes are being used to help subsidise this work.

I know someone who can install the measures for me at a cheaper price; can I use them for installation?
If you want to install energy efficiency measures under the Warm Up Bristol initiative, which is the only scheme sponsored by Bristol City Council, you will have to use approved contractors who work with our delivery partners. We are using local and trusted contractors to do all of the installation work under the Warm Up Bristol initiative, all of whom are required to pass a range of competency checks to become approved contractors.

What is the Green Deal?
The Green Deal is a Government scheme designed to enable householders to improve the energy efficiency of their properties and pay for the installation of energy efficiency measures over time.

Will I need planning permission?
For some installations such as external wall insulation you may need planning permission. Some general guidelines are as follows:
If you live in a Listed Building, please consult the conservation officer at Bristol City Council on 0117 922 3000 or [email protected]. You can find out more about energy saving refurbishment in historic buildings with this guidance document.
If you live in a conservation area there may be some restrictions on what you can install and whether planning permission is required. If you are replacing windows, as long as you are retaining like for like materials, finishes and style (i.e. single glazed wood box framed sash windows for double glazed wood box framed sash windows) you will not need planning permission.
If you want to change the look and feel of the windows you will need to apply for planning permission. If you want to apply external wall insulation and you live in a conservation area you will need to apply for planning permission. You should not need to apply for planning permission for solar panels, though these must be installed in line with guidance on Bristol City Council's planning website.

If you don't live in a conservation area, you may still need to apply for planning permission on external wall insulation if any of the following apply:
• Your property is finished in stone, exposed or painted bricks.
• Your property has at least one wall that meets directly with the pavement.
Your Warm Up Bristol assessor will be able to advise you on whether you need planning permission or not, which will be confirmed by your installer.

I’m part of a community group that would like to promote the scheme to residents in our community – how do we do this and would we receive a referral fee?
Bristol City Council has successfully negotiated a referral fee scheme with is delivery partner, Climate Energy, on behalf of all community groups in Bristol.
If you are interested in signing up to the referral fee scheme, please contact Atef Awad who will explain the referral fee scheme and sign up process to you.  Warm Up Bristol would be delighted to provide marketing and promotional material to any community group or other organisation on request.  Please contact [email protected]

What happens if an issue occurs during installation?
Please speak to your installer to see if they can resolve the problem in the first incidence. The contractual relationship for the works is between you and the installer you choose to carry out the work.
If the issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, then please contact the Warm Up Bristol team on 0800 107 4100 or 0117 379 0203.

How long will installation take?
This depends on the measures you are having done to your home and when we are able to access it. For instance loft insulation generally takes around half a day and involves minimal disruption to the resident. External Wall Insulation will require scaffolding and preparation work so can take up to 3 weeks. As with most building works the installation is weather dependent and may create some delays.

What is the closing date for this scheme?
The Government funding currently secured needs to be allocated by the end of March 2015 but Warm Up Bristol will continue for a further 4 years until 2018 with funding from other sources.

Is the work guaranteed?
We aim to provide the best levels of service and all our work is guaranteed either by the installers, manufacturers of products or the organisations and agencies which accredit energy efficiency products and services. These guarantees vary depending on the measures you have installed and the provider of service but, all guarantees that are associated with the products you choose will be explained to you.

I am a Council/Social Housing Tenant, do I qualify for the initiative?
No, as Councils and Housing Associations already have a duty to adequately insulate their properties. You are advised to contact your landlord.

I’ve signed up to Warm Up Bristol, what happens next?
We will arrange for a qualified surveyor to visit your home at a mutually convenient time to undertake a free no obligation survey. The surveyor will advise you what measures can be installed and the company will, depending on the survey, arrange a date with you for the work to take place.