North Yorkshire Council.

Worried about the cost of living?

If you're struggling to pay for food and other essentials, there are local schemes and organisations in North
Yorkshire which may be able to help or point you in right direction.

You'll find information about emergency financial support, managing debt, benefit entitlement, energy bills and staying connected all in one place at www.northyorks.gov.uk/NYcost of living.

If you're less confident with technology and not sure who to turn to, you can call our customer service centre on 0300 131 2 131 Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4.30pm asking or 'cost of living help' when prompted.

A new grant is available for North Yorkshire residents to help make homes more energy efficient.

 The Home Upgrade Grant phase 2 (HUG2) is available to help homes that are not on mains gas and have poor quality insulation and inefficient heating systems.

 The grant can be used for improvements such as insulation and solar panels to air source heat pumps and smart heating controls.

 These will help save money on energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  

 To qualify for the new scheme residents must have a household income of £31,000 or less and/or meet other eligibility checks.  

 Properties must also be technically suitable for the measures available in the scheme and have a low energy efficiency rating (between D and G on an energy performance certificate). 

 Private rented properties are eligible to apply although landlords must contribute at least a third of the total cost of the upgrade.  

 This scheme is now open and we are working with community interest company YES Energy Solutions who will deliver the improvements to homes. They can be contacted by calling 01422 880 100 or visit the YES energy solutions page to find out more. You can also visit our website  www.northyorks.gov.uk/hug2 to register your details to find out more about the scheme.