To mark the beginning of Big Energy Saving Week, National Energy Action is announcing this year’s successful Warm and Safe Homes Campaign (WASH) Award winners.
Warmer Communities are among the winners in this year’s awards. WASH is an annual campaign to raise awareness of the impact of cold homes on health and safety and the solutions available to make homes warmer and safer. As part of the campaign, NEA has provided funding to 25 organisations across the UK to run community events at a local level to help vulnerable people with their energy needs.
Warmer Communities was incorporated in June 2018 to provide free energy and behavioural advice to homeowners and tenants. Warmer Communities also assists in accessing grant funding for energy efficiency measures such as heating and insulation improvements, energy switching and referrals to support organisations. Warmer Communities has just recently launched Warmer Communities Carlisle, and due to the early success and interest is launching a Cumbria-wide scheme; Warmer Communities Cumbria.
To ensure that local communities, residents and businesses are able to benefit from the scheme they will be holding a launch event. The event is open to everyone and will include a presentation detailing what is on offer, what can be expected, and how to apply. It will also invite questions and provide information on how small changes in your home can cut wastage and energy bills.
The event will held at Longtown Community Centre, Arthuret Road, Longtown in Carlisle. It will be between 11am and 3pm.
Maria Wardrobe, Director of Communications and External Relations at National Energy Action said: “Last winter the number of excess winter deaths was the highest since 1975. It is a tragedy that so many people die or suffer the health impacts of living in a cold home when they are largely preventable. This is why NEA committed to provide funding to so many different organisations across the country. We anticipate that the funding will make it possible for Warmer Communities CIC to provide much-needed support for residents within the local area.”
The funding was supplemented by Calor in rural areas upon recognising the increased costs of delivering fuel poverty projects in rural areas.
Paul Blacklock, Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at Calor said: “We’re delighted that Warmer Communities CIC has been awarded this funding from NEA’s Warm and Safe Homes Campaign. As a major energy supplier to rural homes, Calor has been working with NEA for over a decade now on rural fuel poverty and one of the realities is that it costs more to do anything in rural areas which is why we have provided the extra funding to allow organisations to get things done. We are really looking forward to seeing the outputs from the project.”
