Wednesday 12 September 2012

UK homes urged to claim heating funds

UK homes urged to claim heating funds

UK households worried about their energy bills are urged to find out if they are eligible for free heating and insulation this winter.

The call from consumer groups comes as a new report showed around six million households plan to cut back on heating this winter whilst funding worth millions of pounds from the Government is being left unclaimed.

The Warm Front scheme, which helps people in poor households to make their homes warm and cut energy bills, was underspent by more than £50million over 2011-2012 and claim rates are low again this year. The scheme is expected to help households save up to £600 on their energy bills every year.

Jonathan Stearn, Programme Director at Consumer Focus, which carried out the research said: “A cold home can damage your health. So it’s very worrying that high energy prices are leading so many people to cut back on their heating. We want to make sure that as many people as possible are helped to cut their bills and stay warm and well through the Warm Front scheme this year. We would urge anyone struggling with their bills to find out if they can claim free help.”

Earlier this month DECC announced a change in its Warm Front scheme to enable more properties to apply for the fund, which has come into effect today.

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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