Page last updated at 16:24 GMT, Thursday, September 22 2011

Warm and Healthy Homes

Eastleigh Council has produced a booklet on Affordable Warmth [pdf] for Eastleigh Residents, where you can find lots of information about ensuring that you and your loved ones do not suffer ill effects of cold homes. 

A new pilot scheme which covers Eastleigh, New Forest and Test Valley can offer vulnerable homeowners help with arranging for work that will make their homes 'Safe Warm and Secure'.  The support can include assistance with identifying funding or suitable contractors to carry out work, filling out forms, and even being on site when workers arrive.  This leaflet will tell you more about it.   The scheme is funded for 6 months in the first instance, but may be extended in future.  The scheme is open to homeowners over 70 years of age, but younger people may be considered.

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The impacts of living in insufficiently warm housing can be severe, especially for those that are vulnerable, such as older people, the disabled, and the very young.  In Britain there are up to 30,000 excess winter deaths each year, some of which are a direct result of living in cold and possibly damp housing conditions.  Consequences of living with inadequate warmth include :-

• respiratory infections
• cardiovascular problems / stroke
• accidents, as cold can slow mental processes and lead to confusion
• depression
• hypothermia.

The following diagram illustrates the potential effects as the temperature lowers:

                                               

     21°C    Comfortable Temperature                   

     18°C    No health risk

    15°C     Risk of respiratory infection

     12°C    Risk of cardiovascular problems/stroke                

        9 °C   Risk of hypothermia    

The Government has a website that provides a range of information about keep warm and healthy in winter, winter fuel payments, grants for insulation and more> Keep Warm website.

Fuel poverty, in which a household is spending greater than 10% of their income on fuel to keep warm, has been recognised as an important issue by the Government, and there are both full and partial grants available for cavity wall and loft insulation, for draught-proofing, and for heating improvements to the home you own or rent.  More information about these grants can be found on our page Grants for energy efficiency 

The Keep Warm website gives a lot of advice to help people avoid being in fuel poverty.  The main things to consider is whether your home is well insulated, whether you are claiming all the financial assistance that you are entitled to, and whether you are on the best tariff.  The Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) can help you find the right tariff, but you should also consider switching suppliers.  There are many sites that make it very easy.  You just choose the supplier and tariff from the site, and they will do the rest for you.  You are more likely to find the best deal if you take control of the process, rather than go through a doorstep or shopping centre salesperson.  Two of the main sites are The Energy Shop or USwitch.

For further information contact the Climate Change Officer on 023 8068 8274.