More than 700 Amber Valley households are enjoying a warmer home, having received a government funded Warm Front grant between April 2006 and March 2007. During this period, over £830,000 worth of energy efficiency measures were installed, making local residents warmer and homes more energy efficient.
The Council has been working with a number of local partners and Warm Front scheme manager, eaga plc, to achieve this success.
Councillor Norman Bull, the Council’s former Mayor and now Cabinet Member for Health, Safety and Housing said, “We are delighted that Warm Front has helped make so many homes in Amber Valley warmer and more energy efficient. It’s only by working together that we will ensure that Warm Front reaches as many people as possible. We don’t want people to miss out and spend another winter in the cold.”
Cathy Lomax, Warm Front Coordinator for the area said, “There is more help available for people who struggled to keep warm. We would encourage people to apply for the grant now to ensure the best chance of the work being completed before the cold of next winter sets in.”
The Warm Front Scheme, is funded by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, providing grants for energy saving measures including loft insulation, draught proofing, cavity wall insulation, central heating, heating repairs and replacement boilers.
To qualify for Warm Front, residents must own or privately rent their property and be in receipt of a qualifying income- or disability-related benefit. The scheme is aimed at older people, families with children under 16, expectant mothers, disabled people and people suffering from a long term illness.
Amber Valley Borough Council and Warm Front are holding the following Energy Advice Surgeries where householders can call for advice:
Monday 4th June, 2007 9.30 – 12.00 Ripley Town Centre Office
Monday 4th June, 2007 1.30 – 4.00 Belper Town Centre Office
Wednesday 6th June, 2007 9.30 – 12.00 Heanor Town Centre Office
Wednesday 6th June, 2007 1.30 – 4.00 Alfreton Town Centre Office
Alternatively, householders who think they may be eligible for a grant can call the Warm Front helpline free on 0800 316 2814 or Joanne Walker at Amber Valley Borough Council on 01773 841332
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Notes for Editors
- Warm Front is the Government’s main initiative for tackling cold homes and forms the cornerstone of the Prime Minister’s commitment to eradicate fuel poverty in England by 2010.
- More than 1 million households in England have received help under the Warm Front Scheme since it launched in June 2000.
- A household in fuel poverty in the UK is defined by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as one which needs to spend more than 10% of its income on all fuel use including heating the home to an adequate standard of warmth. This is double the percentage of income that the average household spends. Five percent of English households currently spend more than 30% of their income on fuel.
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News release issued by the Council’s Policy and Change Unit (01773 841655)
