Hundreds of homes to get energy saving upgrades

Hundreds of low-income households are to get thousands of pounds in a bid to make them warmer and cheaper to heat.

Bristol City Council has secured £13.5m of government funds to spend on about 300 to 350 homes which have poor energy efficiency ratings

The grants can be spent on measures like solar panels, heat pumps, new double glazing and better insulation to reduce energy bills.

Green Councillor Martin Fodor, said: "It's just disappointing that we didn't get as much as we were actually encouraged to bid for."

One out of seven Bristol households can not afford to keep their homes properly heated, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council applied for £51m of funding from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, but was only given a quarter of that.

Around £20,000 will be spent on each property, which must have an Energy Performance Certificate within bands D to G.

Money will also go towards retrofitting homes in North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset.

Demand for grants is expected to exceed the cash available but the council has not decided on the selection criteria yet.

Mr Fodor, chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, said it was "really important to tackle fuel poverty" and help people save energy.

"We have an excellent track record in Bristol and the work of City Leap to upgrade homes is important," he said.

"It's just disappointing that we didn't get as much as we were actually encouraged to bid for."

The works will be carried out by Bristol City Leap, a partnership between the council and American firm Ameresco,

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.