An innovative environmental project on
the Isle of Wight to help people keep warm, manage fuel costs, and save
energy is among four initiatives sharing in more than
£274,000 in grants by the Big Lottery Fund across the South
East.
Vulnerable residents in the Isle of Wight will soon be taking advantage
of a unique environmental project, which will provide support with home
heating bills and top tips on saving energy. The Footprint
Trust’s Warmahome project targets older people, those with
disabilities, one parent families, and people living on low incomes, to
provide vital information and guidance on how to access benefits,
grants and loans to help fight fuel poverty.
The project provides free home assessments, giving energy saving
guidance on boilers, windows and insulation, and offer impartial advice
on ways to reduce energy bills. The scheme aims to improve the safety,
well-being and quality of life for vulnerable residents across the
island.
The Footprint Trust have been able to negotiate a
special rate on loft and cavity insulation whereby many local
homeowners will get it free or at a greatly reduced rate. For more
details please contact them on 82-22-82.
Ray Harrington-Vail of the
Footprint Trust said: “We feel we’ve now won the
Lottery! Thanks to this funding Warmahome attending major community
events to promote the project. We will be able to reach out and assist
some 3,000 people over the next three years, and help households to
become more efficient in their use of fuel which will reduce their
costs, fight poverty and reduce carbon emissions.”
Alison Rowe, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the South East, said:
“These projects are excellent examples of how the Reaching
Communities programme is supporting disadvantaged people across the
region. Whether it be helping the vulnerable keep warm, providing
affordable furniture for people on low incomes, distributing vital food
supplies or improving access and facilities for those with
disabilities, the funding will offer better chances in life and
ultimately work to create stronger communities.”
Fuel poverty causes misery and ill-health for a large number of
households in the UK. On average 40,000 more people die in the winter
months than at other times of the year. Many more live in homes, which
they cannot afford to heat and have to make tough choices between
heating or eating, thermals or the thermostat.
Fuel poverty is closely related to housing conditions. The Isle of
Wight is a mainly rural county and many areas feature in the indices of
poverty. Over 70% of post 1919 houses have no cavity insulation. Of
homes built between 1945 and 1964 some 12.5% have no loft insulation. A
very high percentage of all dwellings do not have the full 270mm of
loft insulation.
Householders aged 60 and over make up 52% of fuel poor on Island and
families with children 37%. As expected fuel poverty disproportionately
affects single parent households, the retired and those in receipt of
means-tested benefits. It also affects a higher proportion of social
and private-rented housing, although the greatest number of fuel-poor
households are owner-occupied.
It was these facts that led to the Trust applying to the Big Lottery so
that its staff could visit people in their homes and assist them in
reducing their fuel bills and helping them access funding for home
insulation. The Warmahome project will attend community events and work
with Anchor Saying Put, Age Concern, the Isle of Wight Council, local
churches and charities in reaching vulnerable people.
For a free home visit or more information please contact the Trust on
01983 82-22-82.
