British homes are to benefit from £70m funding for energy efficiency through the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change has announced a third release from the GDHIF.

From midday, Monday 16 March, the scheme will open to new applications regarding the new release of funding.

£5,600 will be made available to households in England and Wales to help with the cost of installing energy saving measures such as solid wall insulation, double glazing, boilers, cavity wall and floor insulation.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: "We're helping families keep warmer for less – driving bills down by encouraging more competition between energy suppliers and making over one million homes more energy efficient.

"Households up and down the country are reaping the benefits of a warmer home thanks to the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund. And now, with more money available, thousands more can benefit."

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Over 25,000 households have already received a voucher for The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund since it launched in June 2014.

Domestic energy customers will be able to receive:

• up to £3750 for installing solid wall insulation

• and/or up to £1250 for installing two measures from an approved list

• up to £100 refunded for their Green Deal Assessment

• up to £500 more if applying within 12 months of buying a new home.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Amber Rudd said: "This winter the government has helped people save money while keeping warm – taking an average of £50 off household bills and making it quicker and easier to switch supplier. But to cut bills every winter people need to use less energy.

"We've already improved over one million homes to make them more energy efficient and we want to help more. Thanks to the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund thousands of families will enjoy lower bills and a warmer home for years to come."

Martin Lewis, founder and editor of MoneySavingExpert.com, says: "There's nothing that generates action better than free cash – which is what effectively the Home Improvement Fund is. So yet again demand is likely to be huge - the first time it was done £120m went in six weeks, then £24m went within 48 hours, so this time I suspect £70m to last not much longer than a week.

"I'd suggest anyone who has already had a Green Deal assessment to be ready to pounce to make sure they aren't left out in the cold. For those who haven't but are interested, first do a quick online check which will tell you if it's worth getting an assessment, if it is, then try and arrange one as soon as possible."

(IT/JP)