Age UK Hounslow, EACH, Flourish, Voices4Change, ILAY ILAY Somali Community Group
Funded by
Awards for All (Big Lottery)
Year
2016
Location
Hounslow
Brief
1 in 5 households in London find it difficult to afford to keep warm at home. LSx worked with local VCS groups in Hounslow to train 25 Energy Champion volunteers and front line workers to go out into the local community and teach 150 households how to make low-cost, low-fuss changes to make their homes less draughty, understand the simple changes they can make to reduce their bills, and help them find out about the additional support and benefits that might be available to them. The Warmer Homes programme, by investing in and working with people in or at risk of fuel poverty and providing them with training and materials to add an extra impact, as well as community based organisations, helped develop social resilience and built on local support networks and resources and created positive social change through empowerment and training.
By reaching further than just offering home installs, LSx’s programme helped open a dialogue about the fuel poverty issue within the community and with it the possibility of the creation of new social norms within these groups. Through the continued enthusiasm of the champions and their new knowledge we hope these ideas can continue to grow and spread.
Achievement
148 additional people received energy saving advice
25 Energy Champions trained
Two thirds (63%) of participating households reported improved thermal comfort
80% reduction in fuel poverty amongst the households visited
£17,499 /yr savings achieved on participating household energy bills
57 tonnes/yr in estimated total carbon savings