Help keep out New Year chill with council heating efficiency grant

RESIDENTS of West Somerset feeling the chill in the New Year are being urged to take advantage of a newly-launched scheme to help them with keeping their homes warm.
The Warm Streets programme is just one of a number of grant and discount schemes available to help residents to heat their homes more efficiently while saving money.
West Somerset Council housing portfolio holder Councillor Kate Kravis said: “We help fund Warm Streets because it directly benefits people who need to make savings and heat their homes effectively.
“Homeowners and privately-renting tenants can get free cavity wall and, in many cases, loft insulation if they are over the age of 70 or in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
“Qualifying benefits include disability living allowance and attendance allowance.
“Householders over 60 and families with children under 16 with low savings and income of less than £20,000 before tax may also be entitled to free measures through a council grant.
“Discounts often apply for households who do not qualify for free installation.
“It is an excellent scheme, and we hope people will ’phone to see if the team can help.”
Warm Streets manager Helen Richardson said: “Insulating your walls and roof can make a dramatic difference to both your fuel bills and the comfort of your home. An uninsulated house will lose approximately 35 per cent of its heat through its walls and 25 per cent of its heat straight through the roof.”
Other grants and discounts, such as Warm Front, Warm Front 300, and the Magic Boiler Scheme, are also available to help fund the installation of heating or repairs to existing systems.
Anybody who wants more information on any of the above schemes, or other energy-related matters, should contact the South West Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512 012.
Its team of advisers can help people access a range of local and national energy efficiency grants and discounts as well as offering free, impartial advice on how to reduce fuel bills through low-cost and no-cost measures.

Grants available for West Somerset residents to cut winter heating bills

GRIM warnings by consumer groups that energy bills could go up by as much as 10 per cent over the next six months are being tackled in a joint initiative by West Somerset Council and the UK’s longest-running and largest home energy saving project, the Heat Project.
Worries about rising costs stem from utility firms failing to pass on the resultant savings from last year’s fall in fuel prices.
Coupled with the forecast that the winter months ahead will be noticeably colder than last year, increases in energy bills could equate to \ devastating financial blow for many people living in West Somerset and Exmoor.
The council-endorsed Heat Project is currently targeting homes throughout the district through a mailing campaign to increase awareness of the grants available to all households for the installation of loft and cavity wall insulation.
It has been calculated that in a poorly-insulated property, up to 35 per cent of the heat produced by a central heating system is lost though walls, while 25 per cent escapes through the roof.
The installation of loft and cavity wall insulation is a relatively quick, easy, and cost-effective way of minimising such heat loss and significantly reducing a household’s carbon footprint, while also saving a potential £345 per year on energy bills.
Council portfolio holder for health and welfare, Councillor Kate Kravis, said: “We have supported the Heat Project for three years and recognise that grant-funded insulation schemes such as this help reduce the carbon footprint of the district as well as lowering residents’ fuel bills.
“We are happy to support and promote the scheme knowing that the Heat Project will continue to provide excellent customer service and workmanship, and we hope that local people will take advantage of this great offer.”
Grants available for these energy saving measures are limited, and anybody who wants to apply for a grant for insulation through the Heat Project should do so quickly to avoid disappointment.
Depending on the household’s circumstances, individuals who are in receipt of qualifying benefits may receive the insulation measures completely free.
Further information about the Heat Project in West Somerset is available by calling a free helpling on 0800 093 4050.