Keeping warm
It is important to keep warm while the weather is cold.
If you are a tenant, your landlord should provide you with adequate heating. Your landlord is responsible for keeping the installations for space and water heating in repair and proper working order (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s11). You should notify your landlord of a problem as soon as possible, and you have to give them a reasonable time to do the repair. A good landlord will provide you with emergency heating such as portable electric heaters until such time as the repair is carried out. Failing this you may wish to buy some portable heating yourself.
Why improve your home insulation?
If your home is poorly insulated you are wasting energy and that is costing you money. The older your home the more inefficient it is likely to be at keeping heat in. Insulating your loft could put £104 back in your pocket each year. Just stopping the drafts can cut fuel bills by £100. If you insulate your hot water cylinder or install improved heating controls you can save even more. Replacing single glazed windows with double glazing will save, on average, £41 per year.
The Energy Saving Trust has lots of advice about energy efficiency. Your energy supplier(s) will also have ways to help you. Warm Front is a government-funded scheme which provides grants to make homes warmer, healthier and more energy-efficient.
Warm Front grants are for people in England who own or privately rent their home and who are on certain benefits. They are available to people who are 60 and over, have children under 16, are pregnant, are disabled, or have a long-term illness.
Warm Front Scheme Eligibility (from 14th April 2011)
To qualify for Warm Front a person must live in their own home or rent privately and the property must have a SAP rating of 55 or under (this will be assessed at the beginning of the Technical Survey)
A householder that is entitled to the Cold Weather Payment should qualify for Warm Front if their property also has a SAP rating of 55 or under.
A householder or their spouse must be in receipt of one of the following:
Pension Credit
Guaranteed Credit or Savings Credit
Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and have any of the following:
Has parental responsibility for a child under 5 who ordinarily resides with that Person
Child Tax Credit (which must include a disability or severe disability element for a child or young person)
Disabled Child Premium
Disability Premium (enhanced disability or severe disability element premium)
Pensioner Premium (higher pensioner premium or enhanced pensioner premium)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) which includes a work related activity or support component and have any of the following:
Has parental responsibility for a child under 5 who ordinarily resides with that person
Child Tax Credit (which must include a disability or severe disability element for a child or young person)
Disabled Child Premium Disability Premium (enhanced disability or severe disability element premium)
Pensioner Premium (higher pensioner premium or enhanced pensioner premium)
Warm Front contact details
householders can apply by: Freephone 0800 316 2814 or On line: www.warmfront.co.uk
Grants towards home insulation are available to other households from the following organisations:
The Energy Saving trust 0800 512 012
The HEAT Project 0800 093 40 50
Climate Energy 0800 0966 356
If you require any further information please contact:
Housing Standards Team
Tel: 01283 508680
Email: housing@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk