Hotspots scheme to help keep people warm
Published Thursday 21st April 11 in Council - news and information releases news
A new initiative called Hotspots has been unveiled to help make sure vulnerable people are safe and warm in their homes
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Maldon Council have jointly launched the scheme, supported by the charity National Energy Action.
It provides an effective referral network between frontline agencies - Essex Fire and Rescue, Climate Energy, and both Maldon and Southend Citizens Advice bureaux. The scheme gives residents the chance to benefit from improved housing standards, from fire safety advice and ensures they are getting the income they are entitled to.
Home visitors are issued with a simple referral card to help residents get the assistance they need. Referral cards are processed by Climate Energy, and the appropriate agency is put in touch with the resident, so help can be arranged.
Similar schemes have worked very successfully in other parts of the country to tackle fuel poverty and also help agencies communicate better with each other.
* Fuel poverty results from low household income, unaffordable energy costs, inadequate insulation, and inefficient and uneconomic heating systems. Affordable warmth is where a household spends less than ten per cent of its income on reaching amenable temperatures.