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The Government has granted Surrey County Council (SCC) "record funding" of £13.9 million with the aim of helping the county's residents "living in fuel poor homes" save money through reaping the "environmental and financial benefits" of installing solar power, low carbon heat sources, and different insulation types into their properties.
According to SCC, this funding is "the largest allocation the county council has ever received", and means "more residents could be eligible thanks to a broader criteria than previous schemes".
With a SCC Cabinet Member for Environment suggesting that, depending on specific needs, "residents can expect to receive an average grant value of £12,400 per property".
Explaining what this entails, the council has said that this grant will be open to "properties on all fuel types", as well as people living in homes with an EPC rating of D-G, and a gross annual household income of less than £36,000.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)-funded project, which is to be known as The Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme will run over three years.
And, according to SCC, will be used to fund to fund measures including installing Solar Photovoltaic (PV), different insulation types, draughtproofing, low energy lighting, and low carbon heat sources like an air source heat pump, hybrid heat pumps or a biomass boiler.
Marisa Heath, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "I am delighted that our team at Surrey County Council have secured such a record-high funding allocation for this latest scheme, which we can pass onto residents to reap the environment and financial benefits.
"Depending on specific needs and upgrades required, residents can expect to receive an average grant value of £12,400 per property, which is a significant amount to make necessary upgrades to homes."
According to research from the University of Surrey in 2023, there has been a "steady decline" in the last ten years in the cost outlay and return on investment of solar panel systems, including in homes, regardless of the size of the system.
With Professor Ravi Silva, Director of the Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey saying at the time: "The findings of this study will aid the UK's focus on reaching its net-zero targets by 2050 for many parties including homeowners, solar developers, the construction industry and Government offices.
"The promise of these investments breaking even or making electricity 40-50 per cent cheaper by 2035 is something that can't be ignored."
"With these findings the research encourages Government support for solar energy developers with preferential benefits to include low-interest rate loans on land or simpler suitable land purchases."
This new "record" funding is all part of Surrey County Council's decarbonation goal of making the county net zero carbon by 2050.
With a major aspect of this being through supporting residents and businesses to continue to invest in more environmentally-friendly sources of power.