The UK Government has allocated over £12 million to Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the area.

A total of £12.4m has been secured for the Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 (HUG2) scheme.

The bid win will also residents save money on their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint.

Locally, the Government scheme will provide energy efficiency upgrades and low carbon heating to 600 low-income homes in Cumbria.

A range of measures are available to eligible residents, including loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and clean heat measures such as Air Sourced Heat Pumps.

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The funding is exclusively available to off-gas-grid homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of band D, E, F or G. To ensure that the grant is provided to those who need it the most, the HUG2 scheme is targeted towards residents who are on a low-income, those suffering from fuel poverty (referred by the Citizens Advice Bureau) and vulnerable residents suffering from health conditions which are vulnerable to the cold (referred by the NHS).

The project is set to commence this month and run until April 2025.

A spokesperson on behalf of both Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council said: "I am delighted that our Housing teams, working in partnership with consortium leads, have managed to secure £12.4 million worth of funding through HUG2. This significant win will enable each of us to continue our ongoing efforts to make homes in the area more energy-efficient and to reduce carbon emissions.

"By offering energy-saving measures to eligible residents, we’ll help our residents to make their homes more comfortable and reduce their carbon footprint."