Affordable warmth not fuel poverty

Kirklees Council are working together with the Pensions Service, NHS, local and national charities such as Kirklees Citizens Advice, Yorkshire Energy Services, and local tenants and residents groups. We are working to ensure that all Kirklees residents can afford to heat their home, can have energy efficient housing, receive the financial support that they are entitled to and live in a home that supports their health and wellbeing. The Affordable Warmth Strategy for Kirklees was launched in September 2007 and since then a number of different projects have been successfully launched.

What is fuel poverty?

Householders who spend more than 10% of their income on energy bills are considered to be 'fuel poor', which means that they cannot afford to heat their home properly. This can lead to them living in cold, damp housing which can cause or aggravate serious health conditions, especially in the old and very young. In Kirklees thousands of households are thought to be living in fuel poverty, exact numbers keep changing as energy prices change but a number of Kirklees initiatives are making a real difference to delivering affordable warmth.

What help is available?

• General advice and information - local services that can help you save energy reduce your fuel bills and improve your standard of living.
• Money - including benefit advice, debt advice and support to help you save regularly.
• Fuel bills - how to get the best deal - find out if you could reduce your fuel bills.
• Health - advice and support to improve your health and wellbeing
• Housing - information about housing grants, loans and home improvements and support for landlords, tenants and homeowners.

Affordable Warmth booklet for frontline workers

• Affordable Warmth booklet (PDF: 132Kb)

More information on the Affordable Warmth Strategy can be found in the:

• Full version of the Affordable Warmth Strategy (PDF: 298Kb)
• Affordable Warmth Strategy leaflet (PDF: 132Kb)

Kirklees Warm Zone

The Kirklees Warm Zone visited all homes in Kirklees between February 2007 and June 2010, offering free insulation to all suitable homes. Over 51,000 homes were insulated for free. However if your home did miss out, free cavity wall and loft insulation is still available through the Kirklees Insulation Scheme - Telephone: 0800 328 0075. Further information about how the Kirklees Warm Zone worked and what it achieved is available from:

• www.kirklees.gov.uk/warmzone