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The Warm Homes Week
campaign runs from 26 November to 6 December
 During Warm Homes Week Cunninghame North MSP Allan Wilson is encouraging
local people to investigate Scottish Executive funded energy efficiency
grants, and ensure that they have a warm home this winter. Pensioners and
those in receipt of state benefits are able to take advantage of the Warm
Deal and the Central Heating Programme.
The Warm Homes Week campaign runs from 26 November to 6 December and aims to
cut the number of excess winter deaths and reduce cold-related illnesses by
raising awareness of the help available to people who cannot afford to heat
their homes in winter. A key message of Warm Homes Week is the role that
energy efficiency can play in making homes warmer, more comfortable and less
expensive to heat.
Allan Wilson said
“I am delighted to endorse the Warm Homes Week message. Warms Homes Week
does an excellent job of raising the profile of energy efficiency and
ensuring that information and advice is available to those who need it.”
“Poor levels of energy efficiency can leave people struggling to heat their
homes. However, the Scottish Executive has made a great deal of progress in
this area. Through the Central Heating Programme and the Warm Deal thousands
of people are staying warm this winter in properly insulated and energy
efficient homes. During Warm Homes Week, I encourage anyone in the North
Coast who may have trouble keeping warm this winter to telephone freephone
0800 072 0155 for information about energy efficiency grants."
The Labour MSP is also backing calls for energy companies to peg annual
bills for those on pension credit to a maximum of no more than £550. This
would ensure that fuel bills would amount to no more than 10 per cent of the
lowest pensioner income. Allan Wilson added
Over 41,000 pensioner households have received a modern heating system,
insulation, draught proofing, and energy efficiency advice through the
Central Heating Programme. Studies have shown that after receiving new
central heating systems 90% of households previously in fuel poverty had
their fuel bills cut and in total, fuel poverty has fallen by more than
450,000 households between 1996 and 2002.”
“However, rising fuel prices could see some pensioners slip back in to fuel
poverty. I want to see the introduction of a social tariff to ensure that no
pensioner is spending more than 10% of their income on fuel.”
“The public sector, through the pensions credit minimum income guarantee and
the central heating programme for pensioners, has played its part in
reducing fuel poverty. It is now time for Scotland’s energy suppliers to
match that effort and introduce robust social tariffs for low income
pensioner households” said Mr Wilson
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