Warm Homes Peterborough, PECT’s community-based fuel poverty project, has entered its second year and is now offering free home visits to Registered Social Landlord tenants in the neighbourhoods of Paston, Ravensthorpe and East ward (as well as continuing to work with tenants in Dogsthorpe and Central ward).
This two-year initiative is funded by ScottishPower Energy People Trust, and will assist a total of 1,500 Peterborough tenants to enjoy affordable warmth, whilst also lowering the carbon footprint of Peterborough communities and conserving limited natural resources.
Each tenant visited during the project receives up to an hour of free, personalised energy advice on a range of topics including energy supply, energy use and energy-saving measures such as insulation.
In addition to this, tenants also receive a complimentary energy pack worth around £15. Each energy pack contains the following items:
-Energy saving lightbulb
-De-scaling tablets (for use with kettles, shower-heads and irons)
-Thermometer card
-Shower timer
-Re-usable Jute shopping bag
-Environmentally friendly washing-up liquid
-Ecover ‘Healthy Homes’ guide to sustainable living
-Pen made from recycled packaging
New areas for Year Two
Having received support from the Energy People Trust to extend the project to tenants in Paston, Ravensthorpe and East ward, the Warm Homes Peterborough team plan to exceed the first year’s successes in terms of reducing tenants’ energy bills and encouraging new energy-saving habits. If you are a tenant of a Registered Social Landlord (such as Cross Keys Homes, Accent Nene or Axiom Housing) and would like a visit, or to find out more about the project, please email
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or telephone 01733 866445.
The Warm Homes project team will also be attending various community events throughout 2010, providing free energy advice and free energy packs to tenants of Registered Social Landlords.
First Year Successes
Within its first year, the project was highly successfully in its aim of alleviating the threat of fuel poverty in the target communities of Dogsthorpe and Central ward. Each of the 250 tenants visited adopted an average of six new energy-saving habits as a result of their involvement with the project, and the percentage of these tenants paying under £20 per week for energy increased from 41% to 52% as a result of the home visits.
Read the executive summary of the Warm Homes first year report here.
What is fuel poverty?
Occupants of a property suffer fuel poverty when they are spending more than 10% of household income to maintain temperatures needed for health and comfort. The recommended temperature range for health and comfort is 18-21°c. If occupants of a property are in fuel poverty, they may qualify for a ‘social energy tariff’ from their energy supplier. Social tariffs provide energy at a reduced cost and are means-tested, taking into account factors such as level of income receipt of government benefits. Research indicates that tenants of Registered Social Landlords have an increased vulnerability to fuel poverty, which is why Warm Homes Peterborough targets its work around social housing tenants.
Peterborough Environment City Trust, The Green House, 1st Floor, 4-6 Cowgate,
Peterborough PE1 1NA t 01733 568 408 e info@pect.org.uk f 01733 553 716
