Helping Londoners stay warm in winter

Richard  Barnes on his visit to the Age UK Vida Walsh Centre to launch the Mayor's campaign to help raise awareness on tackling fuel poverty:

On 25 October I visited the Age UK Lambeth Vida Walsh Centre in Brixton, to launch a new campaign to make sure Londoners get the help they are entitled to this winter so that they can stay warm and well.

With Londoners anticipating another cold winter, the Mayor’s fourth Know your rights campaign aims to encourage people to find out if they are entitled to any help with reducing their heating bills and keeping warm. Many Londoners who are eligible for assistance don’t know they can get help or where to find it.

According to our research, almost one in four Londoners is defined as being in ‘fuel poverty’. This means they live in households which have to spend over 10% of their income on fuel to heat their home to a ‘satisfactory’ level.

There are a number of ways in which you might be able to get help, for example, you might get help to reduce your bills through free or subsidised loft or cavity wall insulation. And if you’re on certain benefits, or are eligible for benefits, you may be entitled to extra help with paying your bills and keeping your home warm.

This campaign is running alongside RE:NEW, the Mayor’s homes energy efficiency programme which is currently being deployed across London. The Mayor’s funding will retrofit 55,000 homes with energy efficiency measures by May 2012. The programme is operating in some of London’s most deprived wards and benefit checks are being offered alongside home energy surveys. Find out if you are in an area which is getting the RE:NEW treatment.

For free advice to help with your bills this winter call the Home Heat Helpline on: 0800 33 66 99.