This is our project set up in partnership with the Dumfries and Galloway Seniors Forum.

What do we do?

Essentially, if you are over 60, we will try to help you with any problems you might have with heating your home and keeping warm. We'll even just liase with your current supplier and make sure you are getting the best tariff available to you. However, we are particularly interested in contacting those on the lowest income. So, if you are getting Pension Credit or certain other benefits we really would like to hear from you.

How have we done so far?

Well, we only started in April 2010 and we've done a lot to try to get our message out to those who need the sort of help we can provide. This has been really hard, but we think if you see what we've done so far you will agree that we haven't done too bad:

• So far we have sent out more than 10000 leaflets and brochures with information and advice.
• We have provided personalized advice to well over 700 people region wide.
• We helped more than 70 of those people to change their tariff and pay less for their gas or electricity.
• About half of those people who contacted us where helped to register for their power company’s Priority Register.
• Already, around 75 people have been put forward to receive grants for cavity wall insulation or free central heating.

We are pleased with those results so far, but we know that it isn’t nearly enough. We know that there are lots of people out there who are struggling to heat their homes. We will keep on trying to find those people by whatever means it takes, but if you know someone – please tell them about us. Help us to make sure that no one in Dumfries and Galloway is sitting in a house they can’t afford to heat, when there is help available that they just didn’t know about.

The Warm Home Discount

Earlier this year the government concluded an agreement with the 'big six' power companies to replace the voluntary scheme whereby anyone considered to be in fuel poverty could apply for what had commonly been called a 'social tariff'.

This tariff varied between the different suppliers, as did the criteria for eligibility. Anyway, that scheme came to an end in April. Over the next four years the 'big six' will have to review all current customers on a 'social tariff' and gradually move them over to the Warm Home Discount.

Although the new scheme primarily targets those who receive Pension Credit there is still some, albeit small, provision for others in fuel poverty.

If you want further information about the warm home discount then do not hesitate to get in touch with us.