Warm Front: Grants for insulation and new heating systems

[kennythecelt]

Cut your domestic heating bills, get a government grant for insulation (cavity/ loft and draughtproofing) and perhaps a new central heating system, if you qualify.

(see details below and the link to Warm Front)

Warm Front is designed to make homes warmer, healthier and more energy-efficient. Many people suffer from Fuel Poverty, which is where they spend more than 10% of their income trying to heat their homes.

The Warm Front Grant provides a package of insulation and heating improvements up to the value of £2,700 (or £4,000 if oil central heating is recommended). It is a Government-funded initiative and the scheme is managed by eaga. It is not for profit.

If you own your own home or rent it from a private landlord, you may be eligible for a grant under the Warm Front Scheme.

Applicants meeting the following criteria may be eligible for a Warm Front Grant.

1. Householders aged 60 or over in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Council Tax Benefit
• Housing Benefit
• Job Seekers Allowance (income-based)
• Pension Credit

2. Householders with a child under 16, or pregnant women with maternity certificate MAT-B1, in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Council Tax Benefit
• Housing Benefit
• Job Seekers Allowance (income-based)
• Pension Credit

3. Householders in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

• Working Tax Credit (with an income of less than £15,460, which must include a disability element)
• Disability Living Allowance
• Child Tax Credit (with an income of less than £15,460)
• Housing Benefit (which must include a disability premium)
• Income Support (which must include a disability premium)
• Council Tax Benefit (which must include a disability premium)
• War Disablement Pension (which must include a mobility supplement or Constant Attendance Allowance)
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (which must include a mobility supplement or Constant Attendance Allowance)
• Attendance Allowance

NOTES:

• The term 'Householder' includes the applicant's spouse, or partner, if they are living with the applicant

If you are not in receipt of the benefits listed above, but feel you may be eligible for a Warm Front Grant, please contact the Benefit Entitlement Check team on freephone 0800 072 9006

the Warm Front team Website

Insulation cuts heat loss from your home and helps reduce domestic heating bills- particularly important when prices are rising so often. A warmer home is also a healthier home, important if you are elderly, disabled or have young children.

I hope this works for people. It is government money and you might be able to qualify. I hope so!! If you don't, you will certainly know someone who could.

Please provide feedback to let us know how you get on.

Good luck! Kenny

[kennythecelt]

Free Central Heating Grants and Insulation for Scotland

There is a similar scheme for those living in Scotland, known as:

Central Heating Programme and Warm Deal, administered by Scottish Gas on behalf of the Scottish Government.

This provides central heating and insulation for the over 60's subject to qualification criteria (below).

Link to the Scottish Government web site with further details of the programmes. It is a free phone call:


http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Pe...ments/Warmdeal

Further Information:

The Scottish Government's Central Heating Programme provides central heating, insulation and advice. It is available to all households in the private sector who lack central heating and where the householder or partner is aged 60 or over. The Programme was extended in May 2004 to include householders (or partners) aged 80 or over who had partial or inefficient central heating systems. The programme has been further extended from 1 January 2007 to include homeowners aged between 60 and 79 and in receipt of the guaranteed element of Pension Credit are now eligible under the scheme if their home central heating is partial or inefficient.

The programme provides the following package of measures:

• A central heating system and advice on how to use it
• Loft, cold tank & pipe insulation; cavity wall insulation; and draughtproofing
• A carbon monoxide detector (except where heating system is electric), a mains-linked smoke detector and a cold alarm
• Advice on best use of energy in the home
• An optional check of entitlement to state benefit

To be eligible, the householder or partner (including partners of the same sex) must:

• Be aged 60 or over without central heating, or be aged 80 or over and have partial or inefficient central heating
• Live in Scotland and either own the home where the central heating will be installed; or have a tenancy agreement with a private-sector landlord and have the landlord's written agreement to the work
• Have lived in the home for at least 12 months before the date of application and expect to live in it for at least 12 months after the work is finished
• Agree to the complete package of measures being installed, if it is possible to do so
• Not have claimed a grant at the same address under the Central Heating Programme

The applicant's home must:

• Be the only or main residence
• Be self-contained; that is, be lived in as a separate unit of accommodation and identifiable as such
• Not have a central heating system or, if there is central heating, it must be completely broken and beyond repair (apart from those aged 80 or over who have partial or inefficient central heating systems)
• Not be affected by any order or resolution which may lead to its demolition

A "central heating system" is defined as a system which provides warmth to two or more rooms through a series of connected radiators or ducts linked to a central boiler, or from a series of electric storage heaters and controlled from one central point.
Under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (Scotland) Regulations which came into effect on 1 January 2007, new arrangements have been introduced to encourage repair rather than replacement where this is cost-effective.
Further information is available from

Scottish Gas, Freepost, SCO 4421, Edinburgh, EH6 0BR; or you can telephone them on their freephone number: 0800 316 1653.

Hope that some of you benefit or put someone in touch who can. It will mean a warmer home, healthier living environment and cheaper heating bills.

Good Luck and let us know how you get on.

Regards, Kenny

[kennythecelt]

More help needed for fuel poor: BBC 27/03/08
Government targets will be missed

BBC NEWS | Business | 'More help needed' for fuel poor

[AwakeNow]

Whoah kennythecelt,

Seems you and I have had the same idea today lol. I was so wrapped up in trying to sort out the wayward aspect SWALEC have for not providing me with at least 2 years of bills and checking any information about the legalities of the fuel system that I didnt notice you also had been checking out same or similar sites to me - cos there are a lot of sites out there.

Maybe the info I provided is a cross reference with your own as it says similar things.

Anyways, just wanted to let you know I was just following my instincts today on checking through the web and don't want to step on any toes.


: - )

[kennythecelt]

With thanks to AwakeNow, for further information on energy savings and possible sources of grant funding for domestic consumers provided on his thread:

Some more Info on Utitlities

[blue4ever]

If you live in Council Property you will not get it

[kennythecelt]

Hi Blueforever

The posts make it clear that individual applications for these grant programmes are for owners and private renters.

Your comment is not strictly true.

Each local authority gets their allocation of funding for their own tenants and it is for the Council to determine how and where it is spent, provided it is on insulation and heating.

If this applies to you, you could check with your Council.

Hope this clarifies, Regards, Kenny

[kennythecelt]

Failure to tackle fuel poverty a disaster-

The Guardian 27/3/08

Failure to tackle fuel poverty a social disaster, ministers told | Money | The Guardian

[kennythecelt]

Complex tariffs still make it tough for some vulnerable people to save money by switching the suppliers of their household services, says a review.
Competition in UK energy, telephone and postal markets has increased now customers are able to switch suppliers, the National Audit Office (NAO) found.

BBC NEWS | Business | Complexity 'hinders bill savings'