The Government’s much trumpeted Warm Front initiative is “unfit for purpose” says The National Audit Office (“NAO”).

The Warm Front scheme was created to help poorer households get subsidised help with roof and wall insulation, double glazing and high-efficiency boilers. It is also a scheme on which a number of energy companies build their customer help programmes.

But the NAO discovered that some 57% of vulnerable households – those in fuel poverty – could not be helped by the scheme because they did not claim key benefits. Fuel poverty is officially defined as those that spend over ten per cent of their household budget on energy costs. Ironically though, the NAO also found that 75% of those who are entitled, were not necessarily in fuel poverty.

So, whilst there are some two million households in fuel poverty, only around 600,000 have been helped between June 2005 and March 2008.

And, in another twist, the NAO discovered of the nearly £900 million spent on grants, around £35 million of it was spent on homes that were already regarded as fuel efficient.

Various charity groups claim to have received thousands of complaints about Warm Front, mainly over the fact that the measures are only subsided and many households literally cannot afford to make up the difference in the cost from their own pockets.

The net result, say the various bodies, is that the government’s scheme cannot be said to cope with the nation’s energy cost crisis.

The government has responded via Energy and Climate Change Minister Joann Ruddock who highlighted the fact that nearly two million households had received tangible help, but she did admit that some improvements were necessary. She said the scheme was being reviewed, more money was being made available and that an independent consultant was being brought in to make recommendations as to its viability.

Whether that will be enough to please the various pressure groups, remains to be seen.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

It’s a well known fact that today’s government doesn’t hand out freebies very often however they do have a relatively good scheme to help some households with their central heating and boiler needs. There are three separate government heating grants available to apply for, these being:

• The central heating grant,
• The cavity wall insulation grant,
• The loft insulation grant.

The main grant is the central heating grant and the particulars are covered by the Warm Front Scheme. This grant can pay up to £2700 for central heating installation and boiler replacement however there are some quite strict criteria for applicants to meet. For example, to get a free grant your household has to have either a person of 60+ years, a child under the age of 16 or a pregnant woman with a valid maternity certificate. In addition, the household also has to receive at least one of the following benefits:
• Income support,
• Housing benefit,
• Council Tax benefit but not single person occupancy,
• Pension credit,
• Job seekers allowance.

Other householders that don’t meet the above criteria can still apply for the central heating grant however they have to be in receipt of one of these benefits:
• Working tax credit,
• Child tax credit,
• Attendance allowance,
• Housing benefit,
• Income support,
• Council tax benefit.

All of the benefits have conditions attached and it may be that you receive them but still don’t qualify for the grant. Saying that it doesn’t cost anything to apply and you can do it easily online, plus you might be awarded a partial grant even if you don’t get the full amount. People who don’t receive any of the mentioned benefits can also apply and they can often get up to £300 to help with central heating costs. The grant is awarded to the property and so if a previous owner has already applied for and been awarded a grant then you won’t be eligible for another one.

The other two government grants – the cavity wall insulation and the loft insulation grants – have the same kind of restrictions if you want the full amount however even those people who don’t receive benefits can claim between 40-70% of the total cost of installation from the government. This is well worth doing as 35% of your home’s heat is lost through the walls and another 25% disappears through the roof. If you can get a 70% grant then you personally will only have to pay around £100 to insulate your house – an amount which will easily be saved in the first year alone on heating bills.

The government have made it easy to apply for the various Heating grants and there are numerous websites available that will actually apply for you. All you need to do is fill in some details and let them do the rest. Even if you don’t think you qualify it’s worth a few minutes to fill in a form as you never know what the person at the other end will decide.

Guest Article by Clare Lynock

Let’s be honest, and there’s no good way to say this, if you don’t insulate your loft, you might as well stand on your doorstep every winter and throw out a couple of bundles of tenners.

It’s what our cousins across the Atlantic call a no brainer. No insulation, money wasted. And maybe no planet either, as you’re not doing your bit to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Loft insulation is one of the most efficient ways to save the heat escaping from your home.

Heat rises and when you have a house that effectively is not wearing a hat, it will escape into the sky without a thought about your bank balance.

It is estimated that over 25% of the heat your are generating can be lost through a loft that is not insulated. Just think about it, a quarter of the heat that is costing you a fortune to produce, is going straight out into the street.

You might remember one of the old Government advice advertisements which showed a row of houses during winter after heavy snow fall and posed the question, which one hadn’t got it’s roof insulated. The one without the layer of snow of course.

Heavy-handed maybe, but it made the point very well. If you don’t insulate your loft, then you’re paying to keep your road warm.

And the great thing, you can install loft insulation yourself. It is still a DIY job, although if you don’t fancy manoeuvring about in your loft, it’s best to call in a professional.

It’s recommended that you have insulation thats 270mm deep and most comes in rolls which can be spread about your loft like a large duvet. If you’re installing itself, remember to wear clothing that will protect your body, and you will also need a face mask and gloves.

Make sure the insulation is snugly fitted into the loft, between the joints at first, and then over them as well, using scissors to cut the material to size. Don’t push and squeeze it. The material is designed for optimum efficiency at the manufactured depth. And don’t cover any water tanks, or light fittings. If you need access to such things, make sure you have walk boards which go over the insulation, but which are properly fixed to the relevant joists. Also, if you have any exposed pipes up there, make sure they are lagged with the insulating tubes you can buy.

Right, lets have a look at some of the costs of loft insulation and the expected payback.

On average, they reckon that to insulate the average loft will cost in the region of between £250 and £300 (with some help from grants). That’s not a fortune. And the saving in heating bills is reckoned, in the first year, to be £205. So, you get payback in about one-and-a-half years. So over five years, you are saving yourself a lot of money.

And, another good thing, you’ll be saving around one tonne of carbon dioxide emissions per year. So, you’re saving both your wallet and the planet.

That’s just one house and someone has calculated that if everyone in the U.K. topped their roof insulation to 270mm, savings of over £700m would be made each year.

And one final point; when you decide that loft insulation is an inevitable step (even for those that need to increase their current depth to 270mm), bear in mind that there are many organisations out there who will provide financial assistance and grants. Much does depend on your circumstances, but a great deal of help is available.

Guest Article by Neil Camp