Don't wait for winter

‘Insulate before it’s too late’, that's the message the Home Heat Helpline has been spreading over the last couple of weeks, as we launched a summer campaign to get people to start thinking about keeping bills down through the coming winter.

Our new research revealed that last winter had a clear impact on public awareness about energy usage in the home – with one in three now claiming to be more aware. However, we found that more people (16 per cent) have thought about buying Christmas presents in the last few months than have thought about fitting home insulation (8 per cent). This is despite the fact that that 3.6 million households could be benefitting from savings of up to £265 a year if they fit cavity wall and loft insultation.

In this latest newsletter we report on our activities over the summer, including visits to our call centre in Glasgow by MPs. As we approach winter, we are planning other events with MPs to help their constituents with energy efficiency advice. Watch this space for more information about our forthcoming winter campaign.

Winter worries dampen Britons’ summer spirit

Despite one of the warmest summers on record, many of us spent the holiday season worrying about the winter ahead. Almost half of us were concerned about our winter energy bills, according to new YouGov research, commissioned by the Home Heat Helpline.

The new research – carried out amid baking temperatures of up to 27 C – revealed that one in three adults were already thinking about how cold it could be later this year, with 44 per cent concerned about the possible impact on their energy bills.

Last winter was the coldest in 30 years and even though awareness of energy usage in the home is improving (with one in three now claiming to be more aware), twice as many are thinking about buying their Christmas presents as installing loft insulation! And this is despite the fact that those over 70 or receiving benefits can have the work done for free through their energy supplier or by calling the Home Heat Helpline.

Mrs Headley from Manchester, who suffered the freezing weather last winter, got in touch with the Home Heat Helpline in May: “The cold weather affects me badly because I have a disability and I’m not able to move about easily. I had heard that I could get some help but I didn’t realise how easy it would be. I thought I would have to fill in loads of paperwork, but I was put straight through to a specialist at my energy company and within a few weeks I had both my cavity wall and my loft insulated.”

Insulate before winter comes

According to Home Heat Helpline research, as many as 3.6 million households could benefit from free home insulation paid for by their energy companies. The Helpline is urging households to call now, as demand for insulation is lower than in the middle of winter.

Calls to the Helpline peak during January, when they are 18 times higher than during the summer. Households that delay calling until January could miss out on a whole winter’s savings, worth up to £265.

Research commissioned by Home Heat Helpline shows that fewer than one in ten adults (8 per cent) have thought about purchasing some form of insulation this summer, despite almost one in three (32 per cent) admitting they are concerned about how cold the forthcoming winter will be.

The research reveals that nearly 1 in 3 adults (29 per cent) have lived without the benefit of loft insulation for more than ten years. These people are missing out on hundreds of pounds of energy savings each year.

Pensioner David Thompson is well prepared for winter. Fuel prices were becoming a bit of a worry for him so he decided to find out if he could make some savings. “I used to be a librarian but had to retire after I had a heart attack and some serious back problems,” says the 67-year-old from Stockport in Cheshire. “My wife has now retired too and our monthly income has dipped. I felt maybe we could save money by cutting our heating bills if we made our home more energy efficient, so I called the Home Heat Helpline. “They said if we had the walls insulated we were likely to save 35% of our heat loss, cut our bills and the house will be much warmer. It took only two hours to carry out the work and you really have to look hard to spot it. “They also recommended we replace our old boiler as it was wasting energy and costing us money. They got me a £300 voucher towards the cost of replacing it. “It makes sense to seek help to cut energy costs and ensure you can afford to keep warm”

The Home Heat Helpline has been working hard to spread the word over the summer, take a look at some of the coverage we’ve been getting:

Britons spending summer anxious about winter bills – The Scotsman
Cold weather payments change urged – Scotland Courier
Winter energy bill worries dampen British summer – Which?
Start preparing for your winter energy bills – uSwitch
Winter warmers: Insulate before it’s too late – Daily Mirror

Seaside towns missing out on £217 million energy savings

With Britain’s seaside resorts counting the cost of a damp and dreary August, new research from the Home Heat Helpline shows that help is at hand for residents of Britain’s popular seaside towns with nearly a quarter (22%) of all households in UK beach resorts missing out on free home insulation.

Although bustling with tourists in the summer, it appears that once the cold weather sets in the residents of our favourite British holiday locations are all but forgotten. With high seasonal unemployment, ageing and poorly insulated housing stock and a large proportion of elderly residents, the report shows that Britain’s coastal regions are hotspots for residents who could benefit from help in heating their homes this winter.

The ‘Seaside Savings’ research, carried out by the New Policy Institute found that 64% of local authorities with principal seaside towns have a high proportion of vulnerable households who would benefit from free insulation grants from their energy companies and could save up to £265 on this winter’s energy bills.

The seaside towns of Bournemouth, Minehead and Clacton were found to have the highest level of residents eligible for Home Heat Helpline assistance with nearly a third (31%) of all households entitled to a free home insulation grant. For more information please see the press release.

MPs visit the Home Heat Helpline

Several Glasgow-based MPs made visits to our Helpline during the summer. William Bain MP, Ann McKechin MP, Margaret Curran MP, Gemma Doyle MP and John Robertson MP all met with advisors at Essentia - our Glasgow based call centre.

This gave them the opportunity to see first-hand how the Helpline is able to provide expert advice on insulation, tariffs and access to the Priority Service Register.