Services A to Z

Energy Efficiency and Conservation

The Council is responsible under the Home Energy Conservation Act to report on the percentage of energy efficiency improvements in the housing stock in the Borough. The Council also works in partnership with other agencies to advise, educate and promote energy efficiency schemes, grants and discounts to residents in the borough.

You can use the links below to find the following information:

Energy Saving Options for your Home

Saving energy not only helps the environment, but it can also help you to save money too. This section will explain how you can identify how much energy you are using and will suggest ways in which you can save energy, from turning off the standby button to insulating a cavity wall.

How much energy am I using?

To find out how much energy you are using you can calculate your carbon footprint by going to the website Act on CO2 or National Energy Foundation.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)

All homes which were bought or rented after October 2008 will have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The EPC provides 'A' to 'G' ratings for the building, with 'A' being the most energy efficient and 'G' being the least, with the average to date being 'D'. Energy Performance Certificates were introduced to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

How can I save energy?

Click on the links below to find out how you could be saving energy:

Energy Saving Tips

Here are some easy ways of saving energy and saving money on your fuel bills:

Energy Saving Survey

You can see what potential energy savings you could make by completing a free energy survey. The Energy Saving Trust will then send you a bespoke energy analysis explaining how you can make further energy savings. Visit the Energy Saving Trust for more information. Visit the local Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre for information regarding potential energy saving actions.

Cavity wall and loft insulation

Did you know that around a third of all the heat lost in an un-insulated home is through the walls. Insulating cavity walls reduces heat loss and can save you around £110 a year on your fuel bills.

If your home was built from 1920 onwards, the chances are that its external walls are made of two layers with a small gap or cavity between them. This means they are 'cavity walls' and cavity wall insulation may be suitable.

Insulating your loft could save you around £145 per year on your energy bills. If everyone in the UK topped up their loft insulation to 270mm, around £520m would be saved each year.

Solid Wall Insulation

If you have solid walls you can either insulate them with external or internal insulation, which can save you around £375 a year on your energy bills. If your home was built before or around 1920, its external walls are likely to be solid rather than 'cavity walls'. Solid walls have no gap and this allows more heat to pass through them than through cavity walls. In fact, twice as much heat can be lost through an un-insulated solid wall as through an un-insulated cavity wall.

Boilers

Boilers account for around 50% of the carbon dioxide emissions in a gas heated home. By replacing an old G rated boiler with a new high efficiency condensing boiler and improving your heating controls, you will significantly cut your home's carbon dioxide emissions - saving as much as £225 a year.

The current lifespan of a boiler is around 12 years. Fitting an A rated high efficiency condensing boiler with the correct heating and hot water controls can make a huge different to your heating bills over time.

Lightbulbs

Energy saving lightbulbs have always been a bright idea - for your pocket and the environment. They use up to 80 per cent less electricity than a standard bulb, but produce the same amount of light.

Just one energy saving lightbulb could save you on average around £2.50 a year, and around £6 for brighter bulbs or those used for more hours a day. And because it will last around 10 times longer than a standard bulb, it could save you around £45 before it needs replacing.

Fit all the lights in your house with energy saving bulbs and you could save around £45 a year and £390 over the lifetime of all the bulbs.

Energy saving light bulbs use between a fifth and a quarter of the electricity of ordinary bulbs to generate the same amount of light. So where you'd normally use a 60W bulb you'll only need a 11-14W Energy Saving Trust recommended equivalent.

Ordinary Bulbs Energy Saving Equivalent
25W 5 - 7W
40W 8 - 9W
60W 11 - 14W
100W 20 - 23W

 

If you are on benefits you could be entitled to FREE energy saving lightbulbs. The energy saving lightbulbs can be collected from Dartford Borough Council Civic Centre Reception, Home Gardens, Dartford. You will need to show relevant identification of the benefits you receive.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy which is generated from natural sources such as sunlight, wind, rain and geothermal health.

You can generate your own renewable energy by using technologies like wind turbines, solar panels and biomass heaters, these offer an alternative to fossil fuels and can help reduce your homes CO2 emissions. There are financial benefits too. Investing in a renewable energy technology now may save you money in the future if the cost of fuel rises.

You may be eligible to receive a grant. Check the grant section here for more details

Choosing a technology that is right for you

The Energy Saving Trust 'Home Energy Generation Selector' will help you to identify the technologies that might be suitable to generate heat or electricity in your home.

Solar Water Heating Systems

Solar water heating systems use free heat from the sun to warm domestic hot water. A conventional boiler or immersion heater is then used to make the water hotter, or to provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable.

Solar PV Electricity Panels

Solar electricity systems, also known as solar photovoltaics (PV) capture the sun's energy using photovoltaic cells. These cells don't need bright sunlight to work - they can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting.

With the Feed In Tariffs (FiTs), there are a number of organisations now offering free solar PV panels.

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Ground source heat pumps use pipes buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground. This is ususally used to heat radiators or underfloor heating systems and hot water.

Air Source Heat Pumps

Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air. This is usually used to heat radiators, underfloor heating systems, or warm air convectors and hot water in your home.

Wind Turbines

40% of all the wind energy in Europe blows over the UK, making it an ideal country for small domestic turbines. Wind turbines harness the power of the wind and use it to generate electricity. Small systems known as 'microwind' or 'small-wind' turbines can produce electricity to help power the lights and electrical appliances in a typical home.

Wood Fuel Heating Systems

Wood fuel heating systems generally burn wood pellets, chips or logs to power central heating and hot water boilers or to provide warmth in a single room.

Grants and Discount Schemes

There are a range of grant and discount schemes which are available to those who wish to make their homes more energy efficient or want to install renewable technologies.

Advice and Information

The Energy Saving Trust

The Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre provides residents with free advice and information on grants and schemes.

Kent Action to Save Heat (KASH)

KASH offers free impartial advice ranging from grants and discounts for loft and cavity wall insulation, to advice and assistance about central heating improvements and renewable technologies such as solar panels.

Schemes

Under Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) legislation, energy companies are obliged to fund energy improvements to domestic properties. ANYONE over 70 years of age is entitled to FREE cavity wall and/or loft insulation, if appropriate for the property, and whilst funding lasts.

There are a variety of sources of help for insulation, heating improvements or renewable energy:

Scheme Details Who is it for? Is it available now?
Winter fuel payments payment to help towards fuel bills. You can get a claim form by calling the Winter Fuel Helpline on 0845 9151515 Over 60's Yes
British Gas Council Tax Rebate Scheme Residents in Dartford can access cavity wall or loft insulation and receive £50 credit against Council Tax accounts. To find out more, contact British Gas on 0845 971 7731 quoting the reference DART. Anyone Yes
Energy Company Grants (via CERT)

The programme sets an obligation on energy suppliers with 50,000 or more domestic customers, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by promoting energy efficiency and micro renewables to domestic energy users. Contact your utility provider for details of schemes available.

 Anyone Yes
Free Energy Survey See what potential energy savings could be made at your home by completing a free energy survey. The Energy Saving Trust send you a bespoke energy analysis explaining how you can make further energy savings. Anyone Yes
Landlord's Energy Saving Allowance If you are a landlord and have made energy saving improvements to your property, you could reduce the tax you pay. You can do this by claiming the Landlord's Energy Saving Allowance (LESA). Landlords Yes
Dartford Energy Saving Scheme The Dartford Energy Saving Scheme is operated by Zero Carbon Uk and is endorsed by Dartford Borough Council. The Scheme operates in specific wards in the Borough. Residents are offered the opportunity to arrange a free survey by calling 0800 466 1006. Residents living in specific wards in the Borough Yes
Boiler Scrappage Scheme

Scheme is England offering a grant to buy a new boiler when scrapping an old one.

 Anyone No. Further funding has been closed to new applications
Warm Front Grants The Warm Front scheme installs heating and insulation measures in your home. New criteria for the scheme are anticipated. Eligibility criteria apply Yes. New applications will be accepted after 14 April 2011
The Green Deal Detail has not been confirmed by the Government.The first Green Deals are expected to appear in September 2012.   No
Warm Home Discount Scheme £120 rebate on your electricity bill. Further details can be found: Warm Home Discount Eligibility criteria apply Yes

 

Schemes To Fund Installation of Renewable Energy

Scheme Details Who is it for? Is it available now?
Feed In Tariffs (Clean Energy Cashback Scheme) FIT's Feed in Tariffs (FIT's) offer funding for small scale (less than 5MW), low carbon electricity generation from renewable technologies eg. wind, solar photovoltaics (PV), hydro, anaerobic digestion or domestic scale micro CHP (capacity of 2kW or less). Eligible producer receives a guarantee rate for each unit of electricity generated and exported. Anyone Yes
Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) The UK Government has now announced the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) to incentivise take up of renewable and low carbon heat technologies.   Yes

 

Alternatively visit the Energy Saving Trust webpage that describes what grants are available and includes a link to a comprehensive domestic energy grants database.

The Council's Current Energy Saving Initiatives

From data supplied by the Energy Saving Trust the following was found:

In order to in order to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the borough, we support a range of initiatives:

Dartford Energy Saving Scheme

The Dartford Energy Saving Scheme operated by Zero Carbon UK and endorsed by Dartford Borough Council is committed to helping improve the energy efficiency of private properties in the Borough. Zero Carbon UK make initial contact with residents via a letter with an invitation to take part in the scheme. Contact is then made with individual households. Residents are offered to the opportunity to arrange for a free survey by calling 0800 466 1006.

The Dartford Energy Saving Scheme offers householders grant funded discounts on loft and cavity wall insulation and referrals to the Warm Front grant scheme.Some people (over 70's or those in receipt of benefits) may even qualify for fully funded insulation.

Zero Carbon Uk commenced work in the Borough in July 2009. The scheme initially started as a pilot home insulation scheme and operation in a small number of roads in West Hill Ward as shown below:

Morland Avenue Raeburn Road Stanham Road
Walkley Road Winifred Road  

 

The operation and outcome of the first roads listed above were monitored and the scheme reviewed prior to being extended to cover the following roads in West Hill Ward in October 2009:

Cochraine Drive Dartford Road from West Hill up to Maiden Lane Gibbons Lane
King Edward Avenue Lodge Avenue Priory Gardens
Priory Hill Priory Road West Hill
West Hill Drive    

 

In December 2009 the following roads were included in the Scheme:

Baker Crescent Blenheim Close Blenheim Road
Christchurch Road Cross Road Devonshire Avenue
Landale Gardens Marlborough Road Miskin Road
Nelson Road Pencroft Drive Penney Close
Roseberry Gardens Rosedene Close Shepherds Lane
Tower Road Wellington Close Wyvern Close

 

In April 2010 the Scheme began working in specific roads in Heath Ward as shown below:

Bath Road Broomhill Road Coniston Close
Cowdrey Close Derwent Close Egerton Close
Gloucester Road Havelock Road Heath Lane
Heathclose Avenue Heathclose Road Heathlands Rise
Heathview Crescent Helen Close Orchard Avenue
Princes Road Shepherds Lane Somerset Road
Sullivan Close Tudor Close Vale Road
Windermere Close Windsor Drive  

 

In November 2010 the Scheme was extended to include the remaining roads in the Heath Ward as listed below:

Ashen Drive Bowmans Road Chastilian Road
Dartford Road Denver Road Heather Drive
Hillcrest Road James Road Knole Road
Links View Marcus Road North Road
Rochester Way Ross Road Seaton Road
Station Road Swan Lane Waltham Close
Wentworth Drive    

 

From the end of November 2010 the Scheme included the following roads in Joydens Wood Ward:

Abbey Drive Anvil Terrace Baldwyns Road
Beaconsfield Road Bracton Lane Broomwood Close
Briar Road Cameron Close Coopers Drive
Denton Road Dykewood Close Eden Close
Eden Road Ferndell Avenue Franklin Road
Heath End Road Heathwood Walk Hunters Close
Joydens Wood Road Maryfield Close Norfield Road
Old Bexley Lane Pinewood Place Portman Close
Red Lodge Crescent Red Lodge Road Sandringham Drive
Stedman Close Summerhouse Drive The Dell
Vanessa Way Williams Way Woodlands Park

 

Trial Home Insulation Scheme

The Trial Energy Saving Insulation Scheme offered by the Company Energy Saving Solutions is no longer endorsed by Dartford Borough Council

Previous Home Energy Initiatives

Sustainable Home Energy Strategy and Action Plan 2005 - 2008

An action plan to take forward the Sustainable Home Energy Strategy 2005 - 2008 was developed following a workshop held in September 2005.

Download Sustainable Home Energy Strategy 2005 - 2008 Downloard Action Plan 2005 - 2008

The Action Plan contained a variety of activities covering raising awareness, schools and education, gathering information, influencing policy, providing information, improving housing stock, engaging with partners, planning and monitoring activities, identifying new resource and future development eg. renewable energy.

The Sustainable Home Energy Strategy and Action Plan 2005 - 2008 was adopted and endorsed at the General Assembly of the Council on 5 June 2006. The Strategy and Action Plan set out the Council's key actions and targets for the coming years. The Action Plan was monitored and reviewed annually and included activities that the Council could provide from within existing resources and budgets and through working in partnership with other organisations.

A Sustainable Home Energy and Fuel Poverty Strategy and Action Plan is currently being developed in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust.

The Kent Health and Affordable Warmth Strategy

The Kent Health and Affordable Warmth Strategy set out a series of objectives to help fuel poor households in the area move into affordable warmth. It was produced in 2001 by a partnership including all the Kent Local Authorities, the Pensions Services, the NHS, NEA (the National Fuel Poverty Charity) and a wide variety of other local and national organisations.

The Strategy and its objectives were reviewed in 2005 and the new Action Plan for 2005 - 2008 was produced.

Home Energy Survey

The Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) required every UK Local Authority with housing responsibilities (energy conservation authorities) to prepare, publish and submit an energy conservation report identifying measures to improve the energy efficiency of all residential accommodation in their area by 30% between 1995 and 2005 and to report on progress made in implementing the measures. Copies of the Energy Conservation Reports submitted by the Council and comments received can be downloaded from the following links:

Home Energy Conservation and Fuel Poverty Survey 2009

During 2009 the Council undertook several surveys to collect data on energy efficiency measures in the Borough. Several different areas were targeted including properties in the wards of Joydens Wood, Joyce Green, Sutton at Hone and Swanscombe. Other properties were randomly selected to obtain an energy assessment of their property to monitor properties with a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating below 35 or greater than 65. Properties identified as having a SAP rating below 35 were contacted later with details around energy efficiency measures being in the category of the most energy inefficient homes.

A total of 1473 forms were returned.

The SAP or Standard Assessment Procedure has been devised as a simple and easy to understand method of measuring the overall efficiency of a property or dwelling. It is the Government's recommended system for producing an energy rating for a dwelling.The SAP is measured on a scale of 1 to 120 with lower figures indicating a poorer rating and the higher figures a good or excellent result. The major factors affecting the SAP are the heating system, controls and the insulation of the dwelling.

Results 2008 - 2010:

Three data sets are examined in the following results:

The 2008 -09 baseline (resulted reported in May 09)

The 2009 -10 results

The 2008 - 09 'recent changes' control data

  2008 -09 2008 - 09 2009 - 10 2009 - 10  
  Count % Count % CI - 95%
SAP < 35 94 17.38 179 12.15 1.67
SAP 35 - 65 354 65.43 990 67.12 2.40
SAP > 65 93 17.19 304 20.64 2.07
Total 541 100 1473 100  

 

In summary the proportion of households within the SAP<35 and SAP>65 bands have both decreased and increased respectively between the reporting years. Both fluxes are significant to within a 95% confidence interval.

The housing stock appears to have improved amongst owner occupiers and local authority tenure groups, but not amongst private renters.

Home Energy Conservation Annual Surveys

As part of the Home Energy Conservation Act, the Council collected data on energy efficiency measures, through conducting Home Energy Conservation Surveys with homes in the Borough. All people who returned the completed survey form received a report with suggestions for making their home more energy efficient.

2008

The survey for 2008 took place in the wards of Princes, Newtown, Bean and part of Joydens Wood and targetted homes where there was an indication (from previous surveys) that the property may not be very energy efficient. Surveys were also sent to properties that had not returned a completed home energy survey form before. The Home Energy Surveys were distributed through the post.

All completed survey forms were entered into a prize draw for 4 prizes of £50 worth of B and Q vouchers.

A total of 1536 completed energy survey forms were returned

2007

The survey for 2007 took place in the Wards of Town, Stone, West Hill and Wilmington. The Home Energy Surveys were sent to homes that from previous surveys indicate that the property may not be very energy efficient. Surveys were also sent to properties that we had not received a completed home energy survey form from in previous years. The Home Energy surveys were distributed through the post.

All completed survey forms returned by 2nd November were entered into a prize draw for 4 prizes of £50 worth of B & Q vouchers

In total 8649 survey forms were sent to properties within the selected wards and 1480 completed home energy survey forms were returned.

2006

The survey for 2006 was delivered to all households in the Wards of Longfield, New Barn, Southfleet, Brent, Castle, Greenhithe and Heath. The home energy surveys were distributed with the electoral registration forms during September.

All completed survey forms returned by 3 November 2006 were entered into a prize draw for 5 prizes of £50.00 worth of B & Q vouchers.

A total of 2780 completed home energy survey forms were received.

2005

The Home Energy Surveys for 2005 were delivered to all households in the Wards of Swanscombe, Joyce Green, Littlebrook, Sutton at Hone/Hawley and part of Joydens Wood. The Home Energy Surveys were distributed with the electoral registration forms during September.

All completed survey forms returned by the end of October were entered into a prize draw for 5 prizes of £50 worth of B & Q vouchers

10078 forms were sent to properties within the selected wards and 3452 completed home energy survey forms were returned.

Targeting properties benefiting from energy efficiency measures

In June 2006 the Dartford Sustainable Home Energy Strategy and Action Plan were adopted by the Council. Contained within the Action Plan was a specific action to increase the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) ratings.

The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is adopted by Government as the UK methodology for calculating the energy performance of dwellings.

National Energy Action (NEA) secured funding from DEFRA (Department Rural Affairs and the Environment) and the energy supplier Powergen, to work with a limited number of local authorities that had already developed a strategy to deliver affordable warmth and also required support to progress its implementation. The Council successfully made an application for this support and NEA offered up to 7 days consultancy services to develop and deliver a proposal to support Dartford in targeting homes with a low SAP rating. The period for the project was October 2006 to March 2007.

Dartford Borough Council as part of their annual Home Energy Conservation Act data gathering exercise undertakes a home energy survey each year with a quarter of the borough's residents. From responses received via completed home energy survey forms the Council is able to identify those buildings with low SAP ratings or possibly benefiting from energy efficiency measures.

A total of 761 properties in the Borough were identified with energy efficiency ratings below 30. A home energy survey form was delivered and responses received monitored.

A number of council owned properties were instantly placed as priority for contacting to ascertain if cavity wall and loft insulation could be installed into the properties.

From the responses received a number of people were eligible for a Government Warm Front Grant, with details about the scheme and application forms sent to those people identified.

In addition a number of referrals were made both to the local Pensions Service and also Benefit Checks undertaken.

The project was completed by March 2007.

Renewable Energy Seminar 2008

Dartford Borough Council held 2 seminars on Saturday 8 March 2008 for residents to find out more about sustainable energy resources.

The seminars, organised by the Council with the National Energy Foundation explored a range of renewable energy options in detail including solar water, wind turbines and ground source heat pumps. Advice was given on costs, installation and planning requirements and also looked at the most efficient solutions to suit different properties and budgets.

Below are the presentations provided during the seminars:

Introduction

Solar Thermal Systems

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Small Scale Wind Power

Wood Fuel Heating

Useful link

For further information contact the Environmental Promotions Officer

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