Warm Front, the Government grant that makes homes warmer, healthier and more energy efficient, helped more people than ever in Bury last year. Figures recently announced showed that 1453 local households received free heating and insulation measures which cost the scheme over £1.5 million, that’s 11% more people receiving help than the previous year.
The Energy Team at Bury Council attribute this to a variety of initiatives, such as promotion specifically targeted towards people who are likely to be eligible for the grant by including energy information in correspondence to those in receipt of council tax benefit or a disability benefit.
An aim of Bury’s affordable warmth strategy is to train front line staff, within the Council and in external agencies, who visit people in their own homes to give them the expertise to recognise vulnerable people living in cold, damp homes and give them a simple means of referring them for energy improvements.
A very successful initiative was undertaken in partnership with Bury PCT whereby people who had been invited for a flu vaccination received a follow up letter offering advice about making energy improvements to their homes using various funding, including Warm Front.
To help Warm Front clients who are unable to pay a client contribution, (the shortfall between the cost of the work and the grant available) Bury Council can, in certain circumstances, fund the contribution on their behalf. Last year, 177 householders received financial help to meet their client contribution at a cost of £83,202 to the Council, grants that may not have gone ahead without this additional assistance.
Gwyn McCarthy
Energy Officer
Bury MBC Energy Show House
150 Willow Street
Bury. BL9 7PS
0161 253 6366
www.bury.gov.uk/energy
When we get a spare minute, we'll contact Manchester City Council and see how they're doing on this issue...
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