Healthy Homes is a partnership between Frome Town Council, Frome Medical Practice and the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) as part of the National Lottery funded Green and Healthy Future Programme.
Cold and damp homes are bad for physical and mental health. Problems and diseases linked to the cold range from blood pressure increases and common colds, to heart attacks and pneumonia. Living in a home that is draughty and loses heat through uninsulated windows, walls and roofs also leads to households paying too much for their heating and increasing their carbon footprint.
That is why the Healthy Homes project was created. We aim to ensure that people in Frome who are at risk of cold homes get the support they need. For households on low incomes living in houses with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or under this could include financial support of up to £10,000 towards improving the energy efficiency of your home.
Over 2021-22 Frome Medical Practice will be writing to patients who may require support and referring them to CSE’s free and impartial energy advice service. We know that GPs are some of the most trusted figures in our community so hope that contacting people in this way will encourage them to take up the offer of support. The Medical Practice’s Green Health Connector will be following up the letters with phone calls to further support uptake.
Throughout summer 2021 we will also be holding drop-in advice sessions in outdoor locations around Frome in partnership with CSE. Dates for the first drop-in sessions will be announced shortly.
Energy Essentials Training
The Energy Essentials course is designed to enable you to provide energy advice to people in Frome. If you work in a role where you are in contact with the public, give advice or support on other issues, or would like to become a Healthy Homes volunteer, this training is for you.
The course is split over two 2-hour sessions and will be held online. You can register for both sessions using these links:
The training will cover:
- Supporting householders with issues with their energy suppliers, meters, bills and debt
- Understanding how to deal with damp and condensation
- An introduction to different heating methods and getting the best from your heating system
- Understanding the various types of home insulation
- Giving advice on the costs of running various electrical appliances
Webinar series
If you don’t want to give energy advice but are interested in learning more about energy in your own home, we will be holding a webinar series on topics such as heating systems and low carbon retrofit beginning in July. More information and registration will be available soon.
What help can I get from the Home Energy team at CSE?
Anyone can call the CSE’s helpline on 0800 082 2234 for free advice or a home visit to help with:
- Improving your home’s energy efficiency, including advice and support to get a new heating system or insulation
- Tips on ventilation and avoiding damp, condensation and mould
- Help with claiming benefits including the Warm Home Discount Scheme
- Clearing or reducing fuel debt
- Switching to better value and/or green energy tariffs
- Understanding energy use, such as heating systems, bills and meter readings
- Fuel vouchers or emergency support as needed and available
Somerset Local Authority Delivery Scheme
The Local Authority Delivery Scheme offers up to £10,000 per household toward energy efficiency improvements in lower income homes.
Funding covers more measures than the Green Homes Grant, which closed in March, and is available to households where the annual income is under £30,000 and where the property has an Energy Performance Certificate of D or below.
Measures available on the Local Authority Delivery Scheme are as follows:
- Insulation: Solid wall, cavity wall, under-floor, loft, flat roof, room in roof
- Low carbon heat: Air source heat pump, solar thermal
- Draught proofing, windows and doors: Double or triple glazing (where replacing single glazing), secondary glazing (in addition to single glazing), upgrading to energy efficient doors (where replacing doors installed prior to 2002)
- Heating controls and insulation: appliance thermostats, hot water tank thermostats, hot water tank insulation, smart heating controls, zone controls, delayed start thermostat, thermostatic radiator valves
If you meet the criteria and are interested in the measures listed, then contact CSE on 0800 082 2234. CSE will undertake an initial telephone assessment to ensure that you qualify and that the scheme works for you, and following this we can carry out a retrofit assessment of your home and make recommendations regarding what measures are most appropriate.
You can also find out more about the scheme by contacting Project Officer Nikki Brain.
