Livewell Southwest have partnered up with Plymouth City Council and Plymouth Energy Community to deliver a free service called the Warm Homes Scheme.
Under the scheme, our Warm Homes Advisors visit people in their homes to talk about energy bills and the importance of keeping warm. They can offer advice on issues such as damp and mould, fuel debt, discounts off their energy bills, switching suppliers, benefit checks and form filling, and grants for boilers, insulation or white goods. They even have access to a curtain bank where they can put up curtains to help keep homes warm.
It’s especially important for people to stay warm if they have a disability or long-term condition. When the temperature drops to below 8C, some people are at increased risk of heart attack, stroke, flu, pneumonia, falls and injuries and hypothermia. Cold weather can also affect people with mental health conditions, such as depression and dementia.
Kathy Valentine, Warm Homes Advisor said:
“The Warm Homes Scheme enables us to go into a person’s home to discuss all issues around keeping warm and high energy bills. We’re coming into the colder months where boilers are started to be turned on around the city. We want to make sure that people are not afraid to keep warm because they are worried about the cost.
“We have had some excellent feedback so far and we are really keen to meet lots more people around the city as the weather gets colder and our bills start to rise.”
A recent service user said:
“All the information the advisor has given has been really helpful and I can’t believe they managed to get me a free boiler and it was all done so quickly! This will make such a difference to my comfort this winter especially as I am currently undergoing chemo and keeping warm is really important to me.”
The Warm Homes Advisors will be on the road in October and November, offering advice to health and social care staff who may want to refer someone into the scheme, as well as members of the public who are concerned about staying warm this winter. You can catch the team at the following places:
Tuesday 8 October, Mount Gould Hospital
Tuesday 15 October, Cumberland Centre
Friday 1st November, Derriford Hospital
The scheme aims to help as many people as possible who live in Plymouth. For more information and to download a leaflet, click here.
If you’d like to contact the team you can email them at [email protected] or call 01752 477117.
