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Warm Front grants pass two million mark
- Published: Friday, 18 September 2009
Two million homes have now been helped by the Warm Front, a programme to tackle fuel poverty and fight climate change. The scheme reduces heating costs by making homes more energy efficient.
Getting a Warm Front grant
More than £2.2 billion has been spent since the Warm Front scheme began in 2000. This has helped make it more affordable for two million people on qualifying benefits to heat their homes in winter.
In the last financial year alone, the Warm Front spent £397 million to help more than 233,000 households in England.
The scheme is open to home owners or those who rent from a private landlord. The money goes on making homes more energy efficient. Warm Front Grants are available in England only; other schemes operate in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Helping over 60s
Most of the households that have qualified for a grant are home to someone over 60. Mr Pervis, a pensioner from Shiremoor near Newcastle, had loft and cavity wall insulation and a new energy efficient boiler installed in his home. Taking part in the scheme means he could save up to £360 a year in fuel bills (and cut his carbon footprint by 1.4 tonnes of CO2 per year.)
Energy and Climate Change Minister David Kidney said: “With the rise in fuel costs and the increased need for us all to save energy, the work the Warm Front scheme is doing has never been more important. We recognise this, which is why we put more money into the scheme and increased the grant levels.”
The Warm Front grant is for capital items that will reduce fuel bills. But over 60s are also eligible for help towards running costs of winter heating.
For more on this, follow the Winter Fuel Payment link below.
