Energy Grants in Lewisham

Energy Grants & Fuel Poverty in Lewisham

Lewisham's housing character varies dramatically from north to south. Deptford and New Cross have dense Victorian and Edwardian terraces, many converted to flats, with solid walls and poor energy ratings. Further south, Catford and Bellingham have inter-war LCC (London County Council) estates with unfilled cavity walls. The council's dual approach — solid wall insulation for pre-1919 properties in the north, cavity wall fills for 1920s-30s properties in the south — has proved effective.

Lewisham Homes, the council's arms-length management organisation for 18,000 properties, has developed a £28m retrofit programme that serves as the backbone of the borough's energy strategy. When Lewisham Homes upgrades a street of social housing, the council's energy team simultaneously contacts private homeowners on the same street to offer ECO4 assessments. This mixed-tenure approach has been cited as good practice by the Climate Change Committee.

Lewisham's Bellingham Randlesdown Road scheme achieved a 78% ECO4 uptake rate — well above the 55% national average.

How ECO4 Is Delivered in Lewisham

The street-by-street model in Catford and Bellingham demonstrates how ECO4 can work at neighbourhood scale. By targeting entire streets rather than individual properties, installers achieve economies of scale: scaffolding is shared, materials are bulk-purchased, and the visual transformation of an entire street creates momentum that encourages remaining households to participate. In Bellingham's Randlesdown Road, this approach achieved a 78% completion rate — meaning only 22% of eligible households declined the offer of free insulation. The national average for ECO4 uptake when offered is approximately 55%.

Available Grants in Lewisham

Residents in the London Borough of Lewisham area can access several government-funded energy efficiency schemes:

ECO4 Scheme

The ECO4 provides 100% free energy improvements to qualifying households. In Lewisham, 2,120 measures installed to date. Most common: Loft insulation (29%).

Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)

The GBIS provides free or subsidised insulation to properties in council tax bands A-D. No means test required.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)

£7,500 towards an air source heat pump or £5,000 towards ground source. Available to all homeowners with a valid EPC.

Warm Home Discount

£150 discount on your electricity bill each winter.

EPC Ratings in Lewisham

Analysis of 102,800 EPC certificates in Lewisham:

48% of properties rated D-G — around the national average. Fuel poverty: 13.8% (17,700 households), above the national average of 13.1%.

Housing Stock

128,400 households. Common construction: Edwardian terraces and 1930s ex-LCC estates, average build year 1940.

Most Common ECO4 Measures

2,120 installations to date:

• Solid wall insulation
• Cavity wall insulation
• Loft insulation
• Boiler replacement

Average annual saving: £570

LA Flex Eligibility — Lewisham

Local Installers

14 TrustMark-registered and 5 MCS-certified installers serving Lewisham. Key areas: Deptford, New Cross, Catford, Bellingham, Downham

Lewisham Energy Strategy

Climate Emergency Action Plan includes Lewisham Homes' £28m retrofit. Street-by-street approach in Catford and Bellingham cited as good practice.

How to Apply

1. Check eligibility — use our checker
2. Get matched with TrustMark installers in Lewisham
3. Free survey — assessor recommends measures
4. Installation — at no cost, usually 4-8 weeks

Contact London Borough of Lewisham: https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/environment/energy or 020 8314 6000

FAQs — Lewisham