Hard-up Brits to get extra cash to insulate their homes this winter amid cost of living crisis, hints Rishi Sunak

CASH strapped Brits will get more cash to insulate their homes this winter, Rishi Sunak hinted last night.

The neediest will get grants to stamp our drafts and wastage to save money on their bills.

The PM told The Sun he wanted to double down on rolling out green measures with extra double glazing and loft or cavity wall protections to help homes keep expensive heat.

He said: People are rightly anxious about bills if we can go and embark on a programme of improving energy efficiency of peoples homes, which we started in government, it cuts peoples bills by hundreds of pounds and it helps us meet our climate objectives.

Those things have a real benefit at home which we shouldnt lose sight of.

And he vowed: We need to make sure that money we are spending is getting to the people who we want it to help, we want to make sure people who will really benefit from those upgrades, get them, and we deliver it properly, thats what I want to make sure that we do.

The hint came as he made his debut on the world stage with a whistle-stop diplomacy blitz at COP27 in Glasgow.

He insisted he would pick up BoJos mantle for green and continue to show leadership on the world stage by urging others to go eco too in a bid to protect the planet for our kids.

What other support is available?

There are several support packages offered to households struggling to pay their energy bills.

The Energy Company Obligation Scheme offers grants for improving the energy efficiency of your home.

The ECO grants are given out by energy suppliers and can help you replace an old boiler, add cavity wall insulation or loft insulation.

The support ranges from covering some of the cost, to all of it, and can save you hundreds of pounds.

Contactyour local councilto find out if theyre taking part in the ECO scheme, or contact your energy supplier directly.

You can find contact details of suppliers who are taking part in the scheme on the Ofgem website.

Another helpful scheme is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme which offers a grant for thosereplacing their fossil fuel heating systems with a heat pump or biomass boiler.

Recipients can get a partial grant to help them cover the cost.

This scheme is only open to housholds in England and Wales and you should check youre eligible before you apply for example, you must own the property youre applying for.

To apply, youll just need to book a suitable contractor who must be MCS certified.

You can then book your installation after agreeing a quote with your contractor who will then apply for the grant on your behalf.

However much you receive in support will be deducted from your final bill.

Another home support scheme is thewinter fuel payment scheme, where over 65s can get between 100 and 300 to offset the cost of keeping their homes warm.

Most payments will be made automatically in November and December but its best to wait until January 2023 before you contact the government if you havent got yours.

Another scheme recently launched to help people pay their energy bills is the National Grid Scheme.

Some energy suppliers will offer customers 100 if they turn off their appliances this Winter amid blackout warnings.

Only customers withsmartmeterswill be able to take part and not all suppliers have signed up to the scheme.

You can see which suppliers are offering the 100 here.