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Picture left to right, Neil Short, Bournemouth Borough Council; Peter Bywater, Dorset Energy Advice Centre; Greg Barker, Climate Change Minister, DECC
A Bournemouth project which helps local landlords insulate their properties, ensuring warmer homes and lower energy costs for their tenants, has won a Best in Britain award from a national charity.
The Dorset Energy Advice Centre, in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council, has worked to ensure that over 7500 homes have benefitted from insulation measures with the support of over 750 local landlords.
This is the second year in a row that an organisation in the south west region has won the national award from the charity National Energy Action (NEA) and includes a £5,000 prize.
The Bournemouth project made it through to the regional rounds of NEA's Footprint Award, going head to head against eight other regions in England to become the national winner.
Now the dedicated team behind the idea is looking at ways to roll it out across England and have already begun the process in Southampton.
Neil Short, Policy Development Manager at Bournemouth Borough Council, entered the project into the award scheme. Speaking about the national award he said: "We are fortunate to have been able to help so many people out of fuel poverty at this crucial time by running this project. I hope we can build further on this success and we are thrilled that the work of our two organisations has been recognised with this award."
Maria Wardrobe, competition judge for National Energy Action, said: "The Bournemouth private rented sector project has succeeded in delivering valuable help and resources to a notoriously difficult sector where the work done will significantly improve the lives of many vulnerable people.
"This award scheme has demonstrated just how much support, enthusiasm and determination there is amongst all of those who entered, to devise schemes that help to tackle fuel poverty in their communities.
"We are very grateful for the support of the Department for Energy and Climate Change and British Gas for the awards scheme."
Climate Change Minister Greg Barker, announced the winners at a recent event held in London. After meeting with the project's organisers Peter Bywater and Neil Short, he commented: "I am pleased so many homes in Bournemouth are now warmer and more energy efficient thanks to the NEA's national competition. Insulating homes is just one of the ways we can help vulnerable people to keep warm in the winter."
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 when a household is required to spend more than ten per cent of its income after housing costs on total fuel use.
3. The Footprint award scheme was organised by fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) in association with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and British Gas.
4. The Footprint Award 2010-11 is now open. All not-for-profit organisations across the country working to tackle fuel poverty and promote affordable warmth to vulnerable households are invited to enter.
For previous releases related to this story please click here.
Date: 26 July 2010
Press Enquiries: Lesley Tudor-Snodin, Press Officer at NEA on 0191 261 5677 or e-mail lesley.tudor-snodin@nea.org.uk