Cumbria could be in line to receive up to £6m to help tackle fuel poverty and improve some of the least energy efficient homes in the county.

District councils in the county are banding together in order to secure as much as £6m from the Government's Green Homes Grant, in its second Local Authority Delivery Phase.

The Government grant scheme, worth £2bn in total, was announced by the Chancellor in July last year, and has a wide-ranging purpose from aiming to save households money by improving energy efficiency to cutting carbon emissions and creating "green jobs".

Bids have been invited from local authorities for the latest round of funding available to them, and councils in Cumbria have joined together in order to secure funding from the grant.

The primary purpose for the Local Authority Delivery funding is to help raise the energy efficiency rating of low income households, and households with the lowest Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings.

This primarily includes homes with an E, F or G rating, although those with a D rating is also within scope.

It is proposed that the scheme will help to tackle fuel poverty, by reducing the energy bills of some of the least energy efficient homes occupied by low income residents, through measures to improve energy efficiency.

The scheme overall forms part of the Government's aim to support a "green recovery" from the economic impacts of Covid-19.

This latest round of funding is being distributed from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to "regional hubs", and the North West Regional Hub has been allocated a total of £51,550,000.

As one of the six district authorities that has formed a consortium to bid for a share of the funds, Carlisle City Council may receive at least £716,000 from Cumbria's share of the funding.

The authority's executive will formally decide at its meeting next week whether to accept the funding offer.

According to documents drawn up in preparation for next week's meeting, it is anticipated that the six Cumbrian districts will collectively secure £5,074,056. However, Eden District Council, which is leading on Cumbria's bid, has requested additional funding, in order to secure £1m for each of the Cumbrian district authorities, with additional funds to cover administration and "ancillary costs".

The Carlisle district currently has more than 2,250 owner occupied homes with an EPC rating of E, F or G, which are capable of achieving a minimum rating of C. This is also the case with more than 700 eligible privately rented homes.

It is proposed that the city council uses the funds it secures from this consortium bid to address fuel efficiency issues in 75 to 100 private sector properties, depending on the final amount secured.