Latest news with #HUG
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Charlotte woman advocates for change after losing home in flash flood
A local woman lost most of her personal belongings after a flash flood swept through her home on June 12. Jane Morin, pantry coordinator for the nonprofit Hearts United for Good, said the water came from the creek by her house. Morin told Channel 9's Eli Brand the water got high enough to go over the bridge and into her home. The water inside was almost knee-deep. 'Anything that was down here in any of these cabinets or sitting on the floor is not salvageable,' she said. Morin was in the process of moving so most of her things were packed in boxes on the floor. She wasn't home when the flood started, and by the time she found out about it, she had to wait for flood waters to recede before she could check on the damage. Morin wasn't the only one affected by the heavy rains. One of her neighbors had to be rescued from the waters by the Charlotte Fire Department, she said. Both Morin and her neighbor were given orders to vacate within 30 days because of the damage. Luckily, Morin says she has a new home to move into, but that isn't the case for everyone. 'It rained four inches in 90 minutes,' she said. 'We've seen in western North Carolina how much damage can be done quickly because of water.' Morin wants people to understand that things like this can cause people to experience homelessness. She says there is a chance she could have been temporarily unhoused if she didn't already have a home lined up. It's something she sees regularly with her work at HUG, a nonprofit that helps feed the hungry and people experiencing homelessness in the city. 'I would love for there to be a different narrative around people being unhoused,' she said. Morin says people from her organization are doing what they can to help, and she is encouraging others to offer whatever help they can to those in need as well. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with Morin's recovery efforts. Morin added that there were donations in her home for her niece who recently became unhoused. Her niece is pregnant, she said. Many of those donations were lost. To donate directly to HUG, visit VIDEO: Flash flooding hits Caldwell County after strong storms
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Solar Panel Grants - how can I get one?
If you are considering installing solar panels at your home, the good news is that there is financial help available, be it loans or grants. You can even have panels on a subscription. If you are interested in a grant, there are a number of options, depending on where in the UK you live and what you earn. Most are for those on low incomes in homes with poor insulation. Up to £630m of funding is available for local authorities to spend on energy efficiency and low carbon heating in this, the second phase of the endearingly titled HUG, which runs to March 2025 and offers up to £18,000 in some areas. It's for people who live off the gas grid and you must earn as a household less than £36,000 to qualify. Solar Together This is a scheme to group buy solar panels, making use of the purchasing power of xxx and keeping costs down. Solar panel providers bid for the chance to install the solar panels. It is more of a bulk discount than a grant. It is available in certain local authorities who have signed up to the scheme. Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) grant If you or someone you live with qualifies for state benefits, then the ECO4 grant could be for you. It is a government efficiency scheme designed to tackle fuel poverty and cut carbon emissions. As the name suggests, this is the fourth version of the scheme and it runs to 31 March 2026 and it is funded by big energy companies and administered by energy regulator Ofgem. You can get help if you earn less than £31,000 as a family, live in private housing – ie not council-run – and receive one of the following benefits: Child Tax Credit Working Tax Credit Universal Credit Pension Guarantee Credit Pension Savings Credit Income Support Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Child Benefit Housing Benefit If you own your house, it must be rated D or worse and if you rent, E or worse for energy efficiency. You can apply with your energy company for up to £10,000 of funding. The scheme is for broad energy efficiency, so you might find that insulation and a smart thermostat are better uses of the funding for your energy use. Welsh Government warm homes nest scheme Naturally, this scheme is only for those who live in Wales. You will need to own a home or be a private tenant and receive a means-tested benefit or earn a low income. Finally, you will need ot be in a home with an energy efficiency rating of E or worse. If your rating is D and you or someone you live with has a health condition, you may also qualify. Again, it includes a plethora of improvements including insulation and heating systems. There is no listed claim limit, although the Welsh Government said in 2023, that the average claim awa £2,457. This scheme is for those living in Scotland and now covers solar thermal panels – ones which heat water rather than generate electricity – and hybrid units which do both. A £5,000 interest-free loan is available for these panels. The criteria are much more relaxed than other schemes and anyone in Scotland can apply if they are doing so for their own home.
