Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency

If you are looking for easy ways to stop wasting energy and money then the Energy Saving Trust can help.

The Energy Saving Trust is a non-profit organisation that provides free and impartial advice on how to stop wasting energy. You can contact them on 0800 512 012 or log onto the website using the link to the right of this page.

Government research figures show that more than 35% of heat from homes is lost through external walls and 25% through loft spaces, so by properly insulating these areas you can turn your heating down, still keep warm and save over £200 a year on your heating costs.

As part of the Council's initiative to improve energy efficiency of domestic property in the Borough, the Council has successfully worked in partnership with Home Insulation services for a number of years. To find out the latest offers available from Home Insulation services please contact the scheme installer. Log onto the website using the link to the right of this page or Freephone 0800 0121 804.  Subsidies are also available for loft insulation and hot water cylinder jackets. Eligibility is not dependent on your income.

The Warm Front Scheme and Eligibility

The Warm Front scheme installs insultation and heating improvements to make homes more energy efficient. The scheme now has a new set of eligibility critieria and will be accepting new applications from 14th April 2011.

The Warm Front scheme provides heating and insulation improvements to households on certain income related benefits living in properties that are poorly insultated and/or do not have a working central heating system.

Qualifying households can get improvements worth up to £3,500 (£6,000 where oil central heating and other alternative technologies are recommended).

Grants are available for improvements such as:

•loft insulation   •draughtproofing   •cavity wall insulation   •hot water tank insulation       •gas, electric, liquid petroleum gas or oil heating •glass-fronted fire - the Warm Front scheme can convert your solid-fuel open fire to a glass-fronted fire

You won’t have to pay anything as long as the work doesn’t cost more than the grant available. If the cost of the work is more than the grant available you'll have to make a contribution to enable work to go ahead. Work will not start without making sure you are willing and able to pay the difference.

Eligibility for the Warm Front scheme

You may be eligible for heating and insulation improvements up to £3,500
The scheme is now targeted at people on certain income-related benefits and living in properties that are poorly insulated and/or do not have a working central heating system. You must own your home or rent it from a private landlord.

The Warm Front scheme is only available in England. Other schemes are available in the rest of the UK .

Benefits and financial support
Eligible customers are all those awarded:

•Pension Credit or;

•income-related Employment and Support Allowance that includes a work-related activity or support component (this includes contribution based ESA customers in the support group who get an income related top up because they automatically qualify for the enhanced disability premium payable with income related ESA)
And those awarded:

•Income Support or;

•income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or;

•income-related Employment and Support Allowance in the assessment phase (first 13 weeks of the claim)
Who must also have one of the following:

•a pensioner premium. or;

•a disability or severe disability premium, or;

•an award of child tax credit that also includes an element for a disabled, or severely disabled child or young person, or;

•a child under the age of five living with you
In addition to the qualifying benefits listed above, the property you live in must also be poorly insulated and/or not have a working central heating system.

At the application stage you will be asked some simple questions relating to the age, structure, heating and insulation of your property. This information will be used to decide if your application can continue.

If your application continues, you will then be visited by a Warm Front surveyor, who will measure the energy efficiency of your home using a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). The surveyor will then make recommendations on which energy efficiency improvements are most appropriate for your property.

The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), is the government's recommended system for measuring the energy rating of residential properties. To be eligible for Warm Front your home must have a SAP rating of 55 or below. This is equivalent to the start of a Band D Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

Apply for a Warm Front grant
You can apply for the Warm Front scheme in any of the following ways:

Apply over the phone
Call 0800 316 2805 (or textphone 0800 072 0156). An advisor will then take you through the application form.

Lines are open Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and Saturday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.

How the Warm Front scheme works
There are four steps in the Warm Front scheme:

Step 1: Application

Apply online, by post or over the phone (see ‘apply for a Warm Front grant).

Step 2: Technical survey

If your application is successful, a Warm Front engineer will visit your home and suggest which improvements could be made under the scheme. You will be given an appointment for a survey when your application is processed. If during this survey it is identified that the problems relate to a gas heating system that could easily be repaired within a three hour time limit, then the Warm Front engineer will carry out the work whilst at your home.

Step 3: Allocation of a Warm Front installer

An installer will be allocated to you following your survey. The installer will then be in touch to agree a installation date.

Step 4: Installation work

Fully-trained Warm Front installers will make the improvements in your home. From the point of being allocated to an installer we aim to have insulation work completed within 3 months of your technical survey and heating works completed within a maximum of five months of your survey.

After Installation
A random sample of installations will be inspected following installation. This is to ensure the highest standards of work are maintained within the scheme. If your property is chosen in this sample you will be contacted by Eaga to arrange a suitable inspection date.

All customers that receive a new or replacement gas heating system will also get an aftercare service that includes an annual service visit.

Useful contacts
For further information, or if you have any questions about your application, contact Eaga (the company that runs the scheme):

enquiry@eaga.com

Telephone: 0800 316 2805  

Textphone: 0800 072 0156

Eaga Customer Management Team
Freepost NEA12054
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE2 1BR

General Advice

As a householder there are measures that you can take that will save you money on your fuel bills and cost you nothing

• Turn your room or radiator thermostats down by 1 or 2 degrees.  This small change will not effect your overall comfort in the room, but could save you as much as 10 per cent on your annual heating bill.
• Close curtains as soon as it becomes dark.  This will minimise loss of heat through the windows.  If you can change your curtains to a heavier material or ensure that they are lined.  This can make an annual saving of approximately £15 on your fuel bill.
• Ensure that curtains do not overhang radiators. Heat will be stopped from entering the room and some of the heat will escape through the glass. 
• Keep doors to rooms closed. This will keep warm air in the room and cold air out.
• Don&Don't;t overfill kettles or pans when heating water.
• Don&Don't;t forget to switch off lights when not in the room. 
• Leaving the Television and video on standby not only uses electricity, but is also a fire hazard

DO NOT BLOCK OFF ANY VENTILATION POINTS IN YOUR ROOMS. 

If you would like any further information or advice, you should email housing@fylde.gov.uk or call the Housing Team on 01253 658658.