[UK] New centre to target fuel poverty

From The Chester Evening Leader

WREXHAM will be a warmer place thanks to new schemes aimed at keeping people warm and helping them use energy efficiently.

The county’s energy saving centre was due be officially opened today as part of a new scheme to help people keep warm this winter.

“Warm Wales – Bringing Warm Homes to Wrexham” is a three year project with the aim of reducing fuel poverty and improving health and energy efficiency across Wrexham.

Edwina Hart, the Welsh Assembly minister for social justice and regeneration, was due to open the new centre on Chester Street this afternoon.

The Warm Wales scheme is supported by Wrexham Council in partnership with National Grid and npower.

Similar schemes have been set up in other parts of Wales, such as in Neath, where assessors are in the process of visiting every home to find out if residents are in fuel poverty and whether they are eligible to have free energy efficiency work carried out. The launch comes as the Assembly announced it is to extend its package of financial support for pensioners seeking to cut their energy bills through improved insulation and energy saving measures.

Bills

With the announcement of an additional £10 million of funding over two years, pensioners in Wales could save up to £250 off their annual energy bills by taking advantage of these new grants.

The Energy Saving Trust, which has been campaigning to raise awareness of the need to improve energy efficiency in the home, with particular emphasis on the plight of the elderly, has welcomed the news.

Bob Cherryman, head of Energy Saving Trust Wales, said, “This is great news, not only for pensioners struggling to keep control of their energy bills in the face of recent rising energy prices, but will also go some way towards tackling the issue of Wales’ commitment to climate change.

“We would advise pensioners to contact their local Energy Efficiency Advice Centres free on 0800 512012, based across Wales, who have teams of expert advisers on hand to help pensioners to best access the grant funding announced today.

“We are confident this package of grant aid will go some way to tackle the real issue of energy poverty affecting much of the elderly population in Wales.

“However, it is now up to every one of us to take advantage of the funding and improve energy efficiency in our homes.”