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Photo from left to right: Peter Bywater, Dorset Energy Advice Centre, Project Manager; Lesley Tudor-Snodin, NEA, Award Organiser; Councillor Douglas Spencer; Bournemouth Borough Council Warm Homes Mascot, Cyril the hot water tank insulation jacket.
Many people living in rented accommodation across Bournemouth will be enjoying lower fuel bills and warmer homes thanks to their landlords taking part in a local project to make their properties more energy efficient.
The project, which is run by Bournemouth Borough Council and managed by the Dorset Energy Advice Centre, focuses on the private rental sector and encourages landlords to fit insulation into their properties. Due to its huge success the project has been named best in the South West region by fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) in their Footprint Award.
A notoriously difficult sector to target, rental properties are often overlooked when it comes to making them more energy efficient mostly due to the cost to the landlord and disruption to tenants. However with the councils Insulation Project more than 750 local landlords signed up to have important changes made to their properties thanks to the funding made available for loft and cavity wall insulation.
Nicky Thomas, Private Sector Housing Manager of Bournemouth Borough Council's Environmental Health and Consumer Services, said: "It is excellent news that the work we are doing has received this accolade.
"It is essential we do what we can to ensure people can afford to properly heat their homes and that the environment is also taken into consideration. The private rental sector has always been a tricky market to address, but this scheme is proving incredibly popular, and thousands of people are benefiting, landlords and tenants."
Maria Wardrobe, NEA's director of communications said: "NEA estimates that over 19 per cent of households in South West England are living in fuel poverty, a scandalous situation in the 21st century. Local agencies like the Dorset Energy Advice Centre are at the forefront of work to provide affordable warmth to vulnerable households and it is these organisations this award scheme is helping.
"We are very grateful for the support of the Department for Energy and Climate Change and British Gas for the awards scheme."
The project will now go on to compete against initiatives from around the country for a national award of £3,000 to announced in July. It has already received £2,000 funding from NEA.
For more information about the scheme please contact the Dorset Energy Advice Centre on Freephone 0800 975 0166.
ENDS
Editor's notes.
1. NEA is the UK's leading fuel poverty charity campaigning for affordable warmth in the homes of vulnerable people. For further details visit http://www.nea.org.uk
2. Fuel poverty is defined as the need to spend over 10% of household income on fuel costs to maintain adequate warmth for health and comfort.
Press Enquiries: Lesley Tudor-Snodin, Press & PR Officer at NEA
tel: 0191 269 6107 5677 or 07595 201 185
e-mail: lesley.tudor-snodin@nea.org.uk