MP Celebrates 5 Years of Warm Front in Bath

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 29th Sep 2005

Bath's MP, Don Foster is celebrating the work of the Warm Front scheme in Bath.

Warm Front, which combats fuel poverty by installing heating and insulation measures into the homes of vulnerable people, has now been running for over five years and has so far assisted 577 households in Bath - a total spend of £423,256.02 in the area.

Commenting, Don said:

"Far too many local people are struggling to heat their homes, often at serious risk to their health. The Warm Front scheme is here precisely to help vulnerable people make their homes warm - it's a fantastic programme that we should be taking advantage of. I often meet constituents who have no idea that they could qualify - it's a great shame that some people are still missing out."

Also offered to clients applying for the Warm Front scheme is the opportunity to undergo a check to see if they are in receipt of all the benefits to which they are entitled. Benefit Entitlement Checks (BEC) have been operating as part of Warm Front since June 2003, with the average weekly increase per client in Bath being found as £36.39.

The scheme manager, Eaga Partnership, has also reported 67 households in Bath have benefited from a brand new central heating system and a further 77 have received repairs to broken or condemned boilers since June 2000. An additional 428 households will make savings from having had their home insulated.

In terms of vulnerable groups of people who have been helped by Warm Front grants, Eaga Partnership has reported that 67 households with children under the age of four, 96 households on DLA, and 345 households over the age of 60 in Bath have benefited from improvements to their homes.

To qualify, householders need to own their own home or rent from a private landlord, and they also need to be in receipt of an income or disability related benefit. Local residents can contact the Warm Front team on 0800 316 6014 to apply for a grant.