Warm Front Scheme reaches major milestone
Energy and Climate Change Minister David Kidney visited the Northeast this month to celebrate the two millionth customer to benefit from Warm Front and to publish the scheme’s annual report.
Managed by green support services company Eaga, Warm Front provides heating and insulation grants to households on qualifying benefits.
Visiting Mr Pervis, a pensioner from Shiremoor near Newcastle, who has benefited from a range of energy saving measures through Warm Front including loft, cavity wall insulation and a new energy efficient boiler, Mr Kidney said reaching the two millionth milestone was a magnificent achievement.
In the year to the end of March 2009 the scheme assisted 233,594 households – making their homes warmer, healthier and more affordable to heat.
The annual report also made clear that as part of a commitment to continuous improvement, and in response to recommendations from the National Audit Office, a number of changes were made during the period.
These included raising grant levels to £3,500 for gas central heating and £6,000 for oil, to address concerns that some households were missing out because they could not afford payment contributions required under the previous pricing structure.
A solar thermal pilot scheme was also launched as part of a focus on low carbon heating alternatives for fuel poor households who are off the gas network.
The Government also announced that it had reached agreement with Eaga to extend its contract to manage Warm Front to 31 March 2011.
David Kidney said: “Helping two million homes stay warm by reducing the cost of fuel bills is a massive achievement.
“With the rise in fuel costs and the increased need for us all to save energy, the work the Warm Front scheme is doing has never been more important.
“We recognise this, which is why we put more money into the scheme and increased the grant levels so people in the hardest to heat properties can benefit and play their part in fighting climate change.
“We need Eaga to take forward this vital work which is why we agreed changes to the contract to manage the scheme.”
Paul Varley, from Eaga, added: “Today we can celebrate a very significant landmark, but there are still millions of homes still at risk of fuel poverty. Set against the wider economic situation the value and peace of mind provided to households by Warm Front is clear and we are determined to make the Scheme even more successful in the future.”
Homeowners or those renting from private landlords and on qualifying benefits can apply for Warm Front assistance.
For more information contact 0800 316 2805 or visit www.warmfront.co.uk.
For further information please contact:
Jane Gatiss
Head of Marketing
Eaga
Managed Services
Tel: (0191) 245 8426
Email: jane.gatiss@Eaga.com
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Notes to Editors
- Eaga plc is a green support services and outsourcing company. It is also the UK’s largest residential energy efficiency provider.
- Eaga was established in Newcastle in 1990 and operates across the UK and in the Republic of Ireland, India and Canada. It employs over 4,500 people.
- Eaga works in partnership with central and local Government, all six major energy suppliers, local authorities, social housing providers and is increasing its share of the able-to-pay private market.
- Since its inception, Eaga has made a positive difference to over 5 million disadvantaged households across the UK, by installing energy efficiency insulation and central heating.
- Eaga holds the contract to deliver the £1.5 billion Warm Front programme in England, the cornerstone of government's target to eliminate fuel poverty.
- Eaga was recently appointed by the BBC to deliver the Switchover Help Scheme to ensure eligible households can receive help making the switch from analogue to digital.
- Eaga is committed to co-ownership and is one of only a handful of UK organisations where every employee with over a year’s service is entitled to a share in the success of the business.
- Since 2000, Eaga has invested over £3 million in the independent Eaga Partnership Charitable Trust which funds research into solutions to fuel poverty.