Swindon residents urged to ask for help this winter
28 Jan 2010 
CR / HTW / South West
Swindon residents are being encouraged to contact a local warmth scheme. People with an illness made worse by cold and damp living conditions who don’t have adequate heating or hot water maybe eligible for help, as a self-referral trial gets underway. This is the chance for people to speak up and refer themselves for assistance.
npower’s Health Through Warmth scheme usually relies on community workers and healthcare professionals to refer vulnerable people, but Swindon is the first area in England and Wales to operate a self referral trial.
Referrals will be assessed by the Health Through Warmth Co-ordinator and eligible residents could receive help with heating, boiler repairs or replacements and loft and cavity wall insulation, depending on their needs, as well as energy efficiency and benefit advice.
Funding to help pay for the measures is accessed from a variety of sources, including the unique npower Health Through Warmth Crisis Fund, government grants and charitable organisations. Any help offered will depend on individual circumstances.
Helen Bonner, area co-ordinator for npower’s Health Through Warmth scheme in Swindon explains: “People of any age can be affected by cold and damp related illnesses. The coldest winter in 30 years is now upon us and the low temperatures this brings could affect the health of vulnerable people in Swindon. Residents who think they might be eligible for assistance are urged to make contact, to see if we can help.”
npower Health Through Warmth scheme works in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust advice centre, Ridgeway Care & Repair Agency, Swindon Borough Council and NHS Swindon. It is one of 15 areas of England and Wales to offer help to residents of any age who experience cold and damp related illnesses and are in need of energy efficiency help and advice.
Since the scheme was launched in Swindon in October 2008, Health Through Warmth has facilitated over £249,000 worth of heating and insulation measures for local residents, funded by the unique npower Health Through Warmth Crisis Fund, government grants and charitable contributions. The team hopes that this self referral opportunity will help them reach even more people. To get in touch with Health Through Warmth and for free impartial advice, please call your Swindon based Energy Saving Trust advice centre, free phone 0800 512 012.
Notes to Editors:
**The npower Health Through Warmth scheme operates in the following areas:
• Birmingham
• Dudley
• East Riding
• Leeds
• Leicester
• Merseyside
• Newcastle
• Newark & Sherwood
• Staffordshire
• Swindon
• Telford & Wrekin
• Vale of Glamorgan
• Walsall
• Wolverhampton
• Wrexham & Flintshire
Issued on behalf of npower Health Through Warmth by McCann Erickson PR, Communications House, Highlands Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 4WE
For further information, contact Rebecca Wallace on 0121 713 3787 or Kate Dawson on 0121 713 3878. Email: rebecca.wallace@europe.mccann.com or kate.dawson@europe.mccann.com
For further information on npower, contact Nick McHugh on 01905 340 854 or email Nicholas.mchugh@npower.com
Energy Saving Trust advice centre information
Contact, Chess Sharpe, Swindon Advice and Operations Manager
017 93 435 260
Chess.Sharpe@est-southwest.org.uk
1. A spokesperson from the Energy Saving Trust is available.
2. The Energy Saving Trust is the UK's leading organisation set up to address the damaging effects of climate change by helping everybody to cut carbon dioxide emissions - the main greenhouse gas causing climate change - from their homes. We promote the efficient use of energy and a more low carbon lifestyle.
The Energy Saving Trust, through its advice centre in the south west, provides free and impartial advice to consumers on saving energy, domestic renewables and greener transport.
For more information visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk or call freephone 0800 512012 to speak the south west Energy Saving Trust advice centre.
For more information contact:
The npower Health Through Warmth scheme operates in 15 areas of England and Wales, listed above, and works in partnership with Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and local authorities within the areas. Vulnerable residents in Health Through Warmth areas can be assessed for help through the scheme, regardless of whether or not they are an npower customer, provided they have a cold or damp related illness and they are referred by a community worker who has attended a Health Through Warmth awareness session. For further details about the areas the scheme operates in or more information about Health Through Warmth please visit www.healththroughwarmth.com or email healththroughwarmth@npower.com. Join the energy industry discussion on npower's interactive debating website the brighter energy debate where you can post your questions, views and comments. You can also check out our Youtube channel.