Residents who can’t afford to keep their homes warm during the winter are invited to contact the Council’s Winter Warmth Club, which offers practical support and advice on how to stay warm and well during the colder weather.
The Winter Warmth Club, which is particularly aimed at vulnerable and older people, offers a number of crucial services including:
- A home visit from Red Cross staff or volunteers
- A free Winter Warmth pack, containing essentials for winter weather and power cuts
- Discounted heating repairs and improvements using trusted contractors
- Supplying oil-filled radiators until heating is reinstated
- Winter safety checks
- A referral to get funding for energy efficiency improvements like loft insulation
- Loft clearance in preparation for insulation
- Draught proofing – doors, windows, chimneys, loft hatches , etc
- Path clearance
- Hot water tank or pipe lagging
- Draught proofing training
- Advice on benefits, grants and services that can help
- Free smoke alarms and advice on fire hazards from Avon Fire and Rescue
Full details about the service are available on the Council website www.bathnes.gov.uk/wwc or by calling the Home Energy Team free on 0800 0822234.
Councillor Simon Allen (Lib-Dem, Radstock), Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, said, “Keeping warm during winter is essential for people who are vulnerable or elderly to prevent a deterioration in their quality of life or even in more severe cases a hospital admission.
“The Winter Warmth Club provides a wide range of help and support which Bath & North East Somerset Council is delighted to provide. It will help drastically improve the wellbeing of those who struggle with the cold weather.
“By calling the free helpline, residents can speak to a member of the Home Energy Team who will find them help from the right people. If you know someone who suffers with the cold, pass on the Club’s phone number, so that if they do need help, they can get it quickly.”
The project is being launched by the council’s Housing Services Department and is managed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) in partnership with West of England Care and Repair, British Red Cross, Age UK and social housing provider Curo.
Head of Household Energy Services at CSE, Phillip Morris, added, “The really great thing about this project is that because of all the partners involved we can give a whole range of support – from someone simply coming to your home and taking the time to talk through your options to stay warmer, right up to support to get funding for improvements, advice on benefits and even free temporary heating replacement if your heating breaks down. You could even arrange a visit from the Fire Service to advise you on fire hazards and fit free smoke alarms.”
The Winter Warmth Project is funded by the Department of Health. It is managed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) in partnership with West of England Care and Repair, British Red Cross, Age UK and Curo the areas’ major social housing provider. Listed benefits are available to households in Bath and North East Somerset.
