Do you or someone you know struggle to live without central heating?
Do you or someone you know live in a home without a central heating system that uses a boiler and radiators? If so, this article may be relevant. Suffolk’s Warm Homes Healthy People service (supported by all the District, Borough and County Councils in Suffolk) has secured funding from central government to help 270 households across Suffolk have fully-funded central heating. Our scheme pays all the costs of having first time central heating installed.
For households close to the gas network, we are able to offer a connection to mains gas and a boiler with up to 6 radiators and full heating controls. For households off the gas network, the preferred heating option will be an electrically operated air source heat pump and radiators, but other options like oil central heating may be appropriate in certain circumstances. Your home will also be assessed for insulation and if this is not to current standards your heating installation may be conditional upon this work also being carried out. Additional funding may be available if insulation is required.
To qualify, households must meet one or more of the following financial criteria: Have a household income of less than £17,000; or be in receipt of Pension Credit; or be in receipt of any other means tested benefit; or spend more than 10% of net household income on fuel; or be in substantial fuel debt (over £1,000). In all circumstances the property must be owned by you or be privately rented (i.e. not a council house or housing association property) and must only have room heaters only or storage heaters. Personal saving must also not be in excess of £20,000.
In most circumstances the works will be carried out at no charge to you but if your house is large you may be asked to make a contribution and if you rent privately your landlord may be expected to fund some of the costs. This will be determined as part of the assessment process.
Due to the limited funding, householders will be considered on a first come first served basis, but where possible, more vulnerable residents will take priority.
To find out more, contact Sue Hall at the Warm Homes Healthy People service by email at whhp@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or call (local rate) 03456 037 686 and quote ‘DECC Central Heating Fund 01’.
More information is available on Suffolk County Council’s Warm Homes Healthy People service website: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/warm-homes-healthy-people