Sharon Hodgson MP visits Warm Front grant recipients in Washington

Mrs Sharon Hodgson MP is celebrating the work of the Warm FrontScheme in tackling fuel poverty in Gateshead East and Washington West, and is urging more residents to come forward and get help with measures that could cut their energy bills by as much as £600 a year.

Mrs Hodgson visited constituents Mr and Mrs Sharpe of Donwell, who benefitted from a replacement boiler under the scheme.

Mrs Sharon Hodgson MP said:” The Warm Front scheme helps people improve their homes’ energy efficiency and is vital in helping increasing numbers of people who are finding energy bills a heavy burden. Policies which tackle climate change are crucial, so seeing Warm Front doing that while addressing the growing social issue of fuel poverty is very important to our communities.”

Warm Front provides grants of up to £3,500 towards insulation and gas heating measures and £6,000 for oil heating to low income families, the elderly, or people with disabilities.

Mrs Sharpe said: “It’s the best thing we’ve done – we get hot water and heating at the touch of a button, it’s so reliable, and the fitters who put it in were lovely and polite – they left the place spotless.”

eaga, who manage Warm Front on behalf of the Government, reported that during the period 1 June 2000 to 31 May 2009 there has been a record number of applications with 5009 households in Gateshead East and Washington West having benefited from the scheme.

These households benefited from a range of energy efficiency measures including loft and cavity wall insulation, new heating systems and draught proofing.

Over £4,364,745.80 has been invested by Warm Front in the Gateshead East and Washington West to date. Many who have benefited from the Scheme report average savings on their fuel bills of anything between £300 and £600 a year.

Rising fuel prices and the need to protect the environment from dangerous CO2 levels make the work of Warm Front Scheme increasingly important.

As well as benefiting from energy efficiency measures, households contacting eaga can also receive a free benefit entitlement check.

To date 238 homes in Gateshead East and Washington West have increased their average weekly income by £20.26. To qualify for Warm Front residents must either own their own home or live in privately rented accommodation and should be in receipt of a qualifying benefit. To find out more about the Scheme and see if they qualify Mrs Sharon Hodgson MP is urging households to contact Warm Front on 0800 316 6014.

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For further information contact: Anne Toms on anne.toms@eaga.com or 0191 247 3840