A partnership project running in Cardiff has achieved an impressive £213,00 in savings and home improvements for householders, and they aren’t finished yet.
The innovative Warm & Safe Homes project sees Community Energy Champions visiting households in Cardiff with an offer of free advice and support to help create warm and safe homes. From water bill savings to energy efficiency tips, benefit referrals to safety improvements; the range of help on offer is impressive and seems to have made a real difference to people’s lives.
[aoa id=”1″]
[/aoa]
Mr Gallivan was one householder visited by the Champions and was delighted with the results “I am very happy to have saved £460 on my water bill”. Mr Vivian echoed the sentiment “Thank you for saving me £120 on my water bill and referring me for a walk-in shower”.
The Warm & Safe Homes project is being delivered by fuel poverty champions Warm Wales and Cardiff Council, with support from Wales & West Utilities. The impressive savings being delivered are made possible by the support of a wide range of partners, including Welsh Water, the Money Advice Service and Care & Repair Cardiff and the Vale.
The project got underway last winter in Llanishen with the aim of supporting 2,000 homes and then moved on to properties in Llanedeyrn and Pentwyn. Up next for a visit from the Warm & Safe Homes Champions will be Adamsdown and Splott.
Project Director Jonathan Cosson is delighted with the results to date and commented:
“With the Cardiff scheme developing well, we have already launched similar programmes in North Wales, Rhonda Cynon Taf and even further afield in Cornwall, the partnership approach has been a real success enabling us to help most of the householders that we speak to”.
Much of the appeal of Warm & Safe Homes is the range of help available from the Community Energy Champions. This includes helping eligible householders onto the Priority Service Register, assisting homes not on the network to claim a gas connection grant, making referrals for energy efficiency help and support, reducing water bills through the WaterSure scheme and Help U Tariff and even arranging free handrails and C0 detectors.
Some of the standout savings to date have been £132,000 in benefit referrals, £46,000 in water bill savings and £14,000 in energy bill reductions.
