Tackling fuel poverty is an urgent task for local authorities, community organisations and housing providers. Whilst warmer, healthier and greener homes can be best achieved through improving fabric based energy efficiency, it is often the most challenging solution. Limitations in the supply chain, demand and finance pose significant barriers to achieving improvements.
Over 2018-9 we have been working with residents in Broughton (Salford), Helping Hands a minor property repairs service and providing finance to test the impact of low-cost measures on bills, comfort and health. The project has six work streams:
Community engagement – working with four Energy Champions to take part and share learning with friends and neighbours.
Training – providing bespoke training for Helping Hands staff on energy efficiency, ventilation and health.
Installation – low-cost high-quality measures installed by handypeople in Energy Champion homes.
Quality assessment – airtightness testing and thermal imaging used to deepen handypeople’s knowledge of draught-proofing and assess the quality of installed works.
Monitoring – temperature and humidity sensors, bill data and surveys used to understand the impact of the installed measures.
Sharing learning – through a community event, video and a final report with recommendations.
Salford Building In Warmth is supported by Salford Council and is the winner of the Warm and Safe at Home Innovation Awards 2017.
