A further 200 Suffolk homes without central heating will soon be able to have their first ever system installed.
Suffolk’s local authorities have secured an additional £760,000 of funding from the Warm Homes Fund. This will enable the installation of 204 first time central heating systems in eligible, fuel poor households across Suffolk over the next three years.
This is in addition to the original funding secured by the partnership in 2017 for 514 systems, over 200 of which have already been delivered.
Around four million UK households are in fuel poverty, unable to affordably heat their home to the temperature needed to stay warm and healthy. As well as being on low incomes many of these households are also faced with the additional burden of relying on heating systems that are inefficient and expensive to run.
A resident who has received a central heating system as part of the project said:
“Many thanks for all your help and enabling me to be warm this winter and in the future – without which I don’t know what I would have done”.
The £150m Warm Homes Fund was established by National Grid using part of the proceeds from the sale of the company’s majority stake in its gas distribution business. It funds the installation of affordable heating solutions in fuel poor households which don’t use mains gas as their primary source of heat.
Jeremy Nesbitt, Managing Director of Affordable Warmth Solutions who administer the fund on behalf of National Grid, said:
“We are excited about this investment from National Grid and are delighted to extend our support to fund the scheme to address fuel poverty across Suffolk’s local authorities”.
“Solving the issues associated with Fuel Poverty continues to challenge many of our stakeholders and the feedback we’ve already received provides evidence of how the Warm Homes Fund has made a positive difference to thousands of homes throughout Great Britain.”
The Suffolk project is being managed by Suffolk County Council, administered by Suffolk Warm Homes Healthy People based at East Suffolk Council and is supported with further funding from Ipswich Borough, Babergh District, Mid-Suffolk District, East Suffolk and West Suffolk Councils.
Alongside the first-time central heating system, eligible households can also benefit from new insulation measures to make their homes more energy efficient, as well as grants from the Suffolk Community Foundation’s ‘Surviving Winter Appeal’.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Public Protection said:
“I am delighted that this extra funding has been secured. Suffolk’s local authorities work very hard to secure funding to support our most vulnerable residents and this additional funding will help even more fuel poor households stay warm and healthy.
“I would encourage anyone who does not have a central heating system and finds it a challenge to afford their energy bills to contact Suffolk Warm Homes Healthy People on 03456 037686 quoting the Warm Homes Fund or visit www.greensuffolk.org/whf to find out more.”
