KEIGHLEY people are being urged to apply for free home insulation work.

A range of measures is on offer to eligible households in the latest phase of the Local Area Delivery Green Homes grant scheme.

The initiative includes fully insulating attic spaces and plastering and redecorating the areas, installing trickle vents in windows to aid air flow, and, if needed, provision such as extractor fans in bathrooms.

Bradford Council successfully bid for a £5.3m share of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Sustainable Warmth Fund to offer the grants.

To qualify, households need to meet criteria set by the Government, including a total income of less than £30,000, and their homes have to be surveyed to ensure they're suitable for the work.

One Keighley family which has already benefited from a grant, in phase one, is the McHales.

Insulation and plasterboard was added to the walls of two attic bedrooms and a staircase in the family's stone terraced home.

As a result, they have been able to turn down their thermostat by two degrees, saving money on energy bills.

And their daughter is enjoying a much warmer attic bedroom.

Sue McHale says: "Making energy improvements to our home was something we’d been considering anyway but we had never thought about getting our attic rooms insulated, however now it makes perfect sense. With energy bills rising we're reassured we have taken some simple steps to help keep costs as low as possible.

"The work was carried out in under two weeks and the team was able to work around our family’s routine – we have two children with additional needs so it was important to us that any disruption was kept to a minimum.

"This has now spurred us on to look at other energy improvements such as solar panels and I’d encourage anyone else to take advantage of the free insulation scheme. There really is no catch!"

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, the council's portfolio holder for healthy people and places, says: "Energy bills are not going to go down anytime soon, and now is a good time to prepare for the colder months later in the year. This scheme is a great opportunity for anyone who meets the criteria to get the work done."

Anyone interested in applying for a grant can find more details about the scheme at betterhomesyorkshireco.uk, or contact Eclipse Energy on 01422 414850 or sales@eclipseenergy.co.uk.