ScottishPower supports ‘Warm at Home’ for fifth year
More than 150 people living with a cancer diagnosis are set to benefit from new central heating after an innovative link up between fuel poverty champions Energy Action Scotland and ScottishPower.
The ‘Warm at Home’ project has been running across the central belt for the past five years and ScottishPower has just announced a further £350,000 investment for the coming year.
Energy Action Scotland works with MacMillan Cancer to identify people eligible for support.
‘Having a warm home is a key component to making a successful recovery from a cancer diagnosis. This project allows us to provide direct support for people who need it most, giving them one less thing to worry about on their journey back to health,’ said Energy Action Scotland’s chief executive, Frazer Scott.
Energy Action Scotland is the national organisation working with Government and energy companies to end fuel poverty and create warm, dry homes for all.
For ‘Warm at Home’ they work with one delivery partner, BRB Ltd, making the process extremely responsive, once a referral is received, work can start on improving the way a home is heated within days.
ScottishPower’s Senior Account Development Executive, Paul Slater added:
‘We’re really pleased to be able to support this important project for the 5th year, helping to improve the energy efficiency of heating systems and ensuring people living with cancer have the best chance of recovery.’
ends
WATCH A SHORT FILM ABOUT THE WARM AT HOME PROJECT
Editors Notes
- www.eas.org.uk
- Fuel poverty is the inability to afford adequate warmth in the home, currently defined as needing to pay more than 10% of income on energy costs. People living in extreme fuel poverty pay more than 20% of income on energy costs.
- The four main causes of fuel poverty are poor energy efficiency of the home, high domestic fuel prices, energy use within the home and low household income.
- EAS campaigns for policy to acknowledge the particular difficulties faced by the fuel poor in rural areas. Higher fuel costs, lack of access to the mains gas grid, premiums on energy, a challenging housing stock and difficulty getting companies delivering energy efficiency measures to operate in some areas are a few of the difficulties faced. Consumers in rural areas off the gas grid can pay significantly more for the same fuel sold in urban areas. EAS believes that the reason behind this discrepancy in price can be attributed, in some part, to the lack of regulation of most rural heating fuels. Regulation is therefore needed on domestic fuels such as heating oils, solid fuels, and LPG.
- The links between cold homes and ill heath are now very well recognised. When the temperature falls below 16°C, respiratory function is impaired. When it reaches 12°C increased strain is placed on the cardiovascular system. When the temperature reaches 5-8°C, an increased risk of death can be observed at population level. Whilst cold weather directly triggers these impacts, it can take 3 days after a cold spell for deaths from coronary thrombosis to peak, and 12 days for deaths from respiratory conditions. It can take up to 40 days for deaths to return to average levels.
- Scottish Government Scottish House Conditions Survey released 21st January 2020
For more information please contact Kate Cunningham, Communications & Public Affairs Manager on 07880 733644 kate.cunningham@eas.org.uk