Govt funding to provide winter assistance - 03/11/2011

People looking to get cheap gas and electricity prices this winter may be able to benefit from a new funding package announced by the government.

As part of its Ready for Winter scheme, which is being run in partnership with the Met Office and Age UK, health secretary Andrew Lansley has confirmed an additional £30 million will be made available to help people heat their homes.

An extra £10 million will be provided to existing schemes such as the Warm Front programme, which can offer vulnerable individuals up to £3,500 to upgrade their gas-fired central heating systems.

It addition to this, a further £20 million will be provided to charities and local authorities to help at least 10,000 homes improve their energy efficiency through measures such as insulation and more modern boilers.

Mr Lansley said: "Being cold in your own home can be miserable and impacts on your health. We cannot look at health in isolation."

As well as the additional funding for home improvements, the package includes a Cold Weather Plan that will advise vulnerable people on how to remain healthy during the winter months.

This includes an alert service supported by the Met Office to warn people when extreme conditions are on the way.

Chief executive of the Met Office John Hirst said: "These alerts will put everyone in a better position to respond to forecasts of severe weather."

This follows the launch of an awareness campaign by the Scottish government last month that offers advice on how to ensure a home is ready to cope with the cold this winter.

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