Vale 'Warm Front' Publicity Generates Big Response

2.04.03pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 20th Jun 2006

Vale Lib Dems have welcomed the latest Council initiative to encourage residents to improve their home heating and insulation. The Council has been able to generate a significant increase in take up for this programme at no extra cost by sending a leaflet or e-mailing residents in receipt of Housing and Council Tax Benefits in February.

Warm Front is a Government agency which makes grants to improve the energy efficiency of homes and so reduce fuel poverty. Grants are available to people receiving benefits and the Vale of White Horse District Council has been particularly successful in encouraging its residents to apply for these national grants. Referrals to Warm Front rose to 70 in February and 138 in March, compared with an average of 12.

The Council initiative has led to a large increase in referrals and another 210 households overall have been helped with grants to improve the energy efficiency of their homes between October 2005 and April 2006, compared to just 91 homes in the next best authority in the county, South Oxfordshire District Council.

Executive member Cllr Mary de Vere said: "This initiative offers so many benefits at very little cost to the Council: the 210 households we have helped so far this year will have a more comfortable living environment, they are likely to suffer from reduced illness and the improvements made will help to decreased the damage done to the environment by the escape of heat from their homes and the reduction in energy they use.

"By simply emailing recipients of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit we were able to greatly increase the number of enquiries and grants we provided to more than double the next best authority in Oxfordshire. This is a 'win win' initiative which benefits residents, other services such as healthcare and the environment. In the Vale a little initiative goes a long way."