Warm Home Service – enhanced offer for families

Date: Thursday, 04th Feb 2021 | Category: General

The East Sussex Warm Home Check service includes funding for substantial heating and/or home insulation improvements and an enhanced offer for families with children.

During these latest national coronavirus restrictions the Warm Home Check service continues with COVID-secure delivery in line with guidance for working in other people’s homes, whenever access to the home is necessary.

To help mitigate the wider impacts of the pandemic the service is currently able to offer more support for families with children who may be struggling to keep warm at home, thanks to the COVID Winter Grant scheme.  The scheme can help with energy related costs, such as  access to fuel vouchers, and other essentials.

If you are in contact with someone who may be able to benefit, please consider signposting or direct referral to the Warm Home Check service.  Not forgetting that older people, those with long-term health conditions or disabilities and those living on a low income are also particularly vulnerable to cold weather and could access support from the service.

Overview of the service

As always, the Warm Home Check visit can offer eligible households practical help including:

• advice on getting help with the cost of heating the home
• an assessment of the home and how best to keep it warm
• small preventative works such as improving insulation or repairing boilers
• installation of central heating system upgrades or home insulation – subject to additional eligibility and limited availability – for example, through government’s Green Homes Grant scheme
• delivery of emergency temporary heaters to eligible households if their heating breaks down or is insufficient.

Referral is quick and easy using the secure online form at: www.warmeastsussex.org.uk

The form includes a section where referrers can indicate any additional client needs (such as young children, illness or disability, broken heating), or detail any support already provided.  Queries from referrers can be made by calling 01424 721386.

Clients can also use the online form, text WARM to 81400 or call 03444 111 444.

The service is commissioned by East Sussex County Council and provided by RetrofitWorks and Citizens Advice East Sussex.  You can order promotional ‘Keep Warm and Well in East Sussex’ advice leaflets and handy thermometer resources directly from Health Promotion Resources East Sussex (select the ‘fuel poverty’ topic). 

Training and support

Virtual staff training or briefings about the support on offer can be arranged by contacting the East Sussex Fuel Poverty Coordinator, Louise Trenchard, by email: ltrenchard@hastings.gov.uk

How you can help

Referring to the service (as above)

1. Sharing this email with you team and colleagues
2. Sharing information about the service on your social media (social media posts)