Keeping warm in winter service

Coldbusters

Maidstone Borough Council is offering eligible residents free heating and insulation for their homes.

The council is aiming to work with residents to help them heat their homes more efficiently through a grant scheme called Coldbusters.

The grant can cover the following that can help them save money on energy bills and help to protect the environment:

• Replacement of boiler (if your current boiler is more than 15 years old or broken and beyond economical repair)
• Central heating system
• Heating controls
• Cavity wall insulation
• Loft insulation
• Draught-proofing
• Internal or External Solid Insulation
• Log Stoves
• Solar Thermal Hot Water installation

You are eligible for a 100% Coldbusters Grant of up to £8,000 if you own or privately rent your home and receive one of the benefits listed below or if you are aged 60 years or older and receiving the state retirement pension as your main source of income.

If residents are receiving an additional private pension and/or another source of income this must be smaller than the state pension based on the equivalent weekly amount. Applicants must also not have more than £16,000 of savings.

Rural Homes Grants

100% Rural Homes Grants of up to £5,000 are available for log stoves and biomass boilers for applicants receiving one of the benefits listed below and who own or privately rent their home and can not be connected to mains gas.

50% Rural Homes Grants of up to £5,000 are available for log stoves and biomass boilers for applicants not in receipt of one of the benefits listed below and who own or privately rent their home and can not be connected to mains gas.

Hard to Treat Grants

100% Hard to Heat Homes Grants of up to £20,000 are available for internal or external solid wall insulation for applicants who own or privately rent their home and have a solid wall property.

Sunrise Grants

Grants of £1,500 are available to any Maidstone resident whose property is suitable for a solar thermal hot water installation.

Eligible Benefits

Income Support, Income based job seekers allowance, Council Tax Benefit Housing Benefit Guaranteed pension credits, Working Families Tax credit (incomes less than £15,592) Child Tax Credit (incomes less than £15,592), Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance

For further information or to apply for any of the above grants call 0800 512012. All grants are subject to funding availability on a first come first served basis.