£1.3 BILLION GOES UP
THE CHIMNEY The not-for-profit Home Heat Helpline calculated that just over 7 million British households are without sufficient loft insulation, leaving many with higher than necessary home energy bills. The problem is worst in England where 6.7 million households are lacking decent loft insulation that could help with lower fuel bills. In Scotland there are around 386,000 households without sufficient loft insulation and in Wales the figure is 21,983. The Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99), launched by the Energy Retail Association provides vulnerable customers with help and funding to improve their home insulation and are urging those worried about their bills to call the Helpline as soon as possible to see if they are entitled to help with insulation. Duncan Sedgwick, Chief Executive of the Energy Retail Association which runs the Home Heat Helpline comments: ‘It is worrying that so many people could be paying higher than necessary home energy bills. That’s why we are encouraging anyone worried about paying their fuel bills this winter to call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 as soon as possible so they have ample time to access both Government and supplier grants to get free insulation measures fitted in time for winter. Research shows that customers in need could be missing out on benefits worth as much as £1,500 each, so don’t miss out, call today2’. Lack of loft insulation is just the tip of the iceberg as there is also an estimated 11.3 million households who have no cavity wall insulation meaning the amount of money going up the chimney on wasted fuel costs could be higher. Retired weatherman Michael Fish adds ‘The British are famous for talking about the weather and each winter the nation is fixated with the temperature outside with many of us turning the heating right up to fight the cold, resulting in high fuel bills. But actually many of us could save money by installing insulation, so to avoid letting your fuel bills go through the roof call the Home Heat Helpline before the cold weather is forecast.’ The older generation in particular are being targeted by the Home Heat Helpline after their research3 found only half of over 55 year olds would consider insulating their home in the summer months in preparation for winter, this is despite all of them admitting they knew insulating their home could save money on their heating bills. This is particularly worrying as the research also found that 51% of over 55 year olds kept their heating at a lower temperature and 47% only heated selected rooms in an effort to save money on their bills. Efficient insulation can conserve valuable heat within homes, making for a warmer home and helping people save money on their energy bills. In fact installing loft and wall insulation could save each household around £300 each year on their home energy bills. The following insulation methods can all help people save money on their
energy bills: Draft Prevention - rooms can sometimes feel cold due to strong drafts rising up from gaps between the floorboards or between the skirting board and the floor. This is easily resolved by filling the gaps with a regular tube sealant. Loft Insulation - a very effective way to reduce heating bills - as much as a third of the cost of heating a home could be escaping through the roof. Tanks and Pipes - insulating hot water tanks by fitting a ‘jacket’ or covering pipes will help keep water hot. The Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) is a free help line which has been set up to help anyone worried about paying their heating bills. Callers can talk to specially trained staff who can provide help and advice with their home heating bills including grants to make homes more energy efficient, arranging alternative payment methods to suit their circumstances, accessing a priority service team of specialist advisers and providing links to other support agencies. Ends Media Contacts: For further information and access to case studies please
call NOTES TO EDITORS: 1. The Helpline operates from Monday to Friday 9am-8pm and from 10am-2pm
on Saturday. There is a free minicom number (0800 027 2122) and the Helpline
also has access to interpreters for those callers whose first language
is not English |