Salford residents can now apply for up to £7,000 in grants to help slash energy bills – thanks to a sausage dog called Little Bill.
The canine mascot is the face of a new poster campaign to help householders across Greater Manchester cut costs and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Householders can apply for up to £7,000 worth of energy improvements including new central heating systems, solar panels and loft insulation. Loft and cavity wall insulation can help wipe more than £300 off the average household bill.
Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart said: “It may be summer, but it’s never too late to start thinking about making your home cosy and warm for winter. We’re passionate about trying to help people save energy and money on their bills.
“The council is also doing its bit to save energy costs and cut carbon emissions. Over the last five years. We’ve insulated lofts and cavity walls, improved the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, switched oil-fired boilers to gas installed LED street lighting and reduced the number of printers. We’ve saved almost £4 million and cut our carbon emissions by 19 per cent.”
Salford City Council is working with the Greater Manchester Energy Advice Line on the campaign.
And three Salford homes could become show homes to demonstrate innovative energy saving ideas.
Greater Manchester Energy Advice will choose 30 homes across the 10 Greater Manchester districts to illustrate the range of energy improvements that can be made. Homeowners selected will be offered up to £12,000 towards the costs of these improvements. In return, they must hold seven public open days over the next two years so visitors can see how the energy saving measures work.