Eaga Partnership Ltd manages a number of government funded schemes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which provide help with heating. Scottish Gas provides the same service in Scotland.
The rules vary but different schemes provide help for disabled people, people age 60 or over and families with children who get a qualifying benefit or tax credits.
Help available under these schemes include the provision of:
Under the Warm Front grants scheme, help towards improvements in insulation, room heating and water heating is available to disabled people and families with children who get a qualifying benefit or tax credit and people aged 60 or over who get a means-tested benefit. Warm Front provides a maximum grant of £2,700 for installing insulation and improving heating for households using mains gas, solid fuel, oil or off-peak electricity for heating (or £4,000 where oil central heating is installed or repaired).
You can enquire about eligibility on Freephone 0800 316 2805 or apply on the eaga partnership website at www.eaga.com.
The Warm Homes scheme provides an insulation grant of up to £850 to owner occupiers and private tenants who are disabled, over 60 or with children under 16, and who are in receipt of a qualifying benefit. Warm Homes Plus provides up to a total of £4,300 for insulation and central heating for householders over 60 in receipt of a qualifying benefit. For applications/enquiries ring 0800 181 667.
The Central Heating Programme\Warm Deal provides £500 worth of home insulation improvements. You must be getting one of a list of qualifying benefits.
If you or your partner are aged 60 or over but do not get a qualifying benefit, you can still get a grant of up to £125. People aged 60 or over may be able to get help to install central heating and associated insulation works. People aged 80 or over or under 80 and in receipt of the guarantee element of pension credit qualify for an enhanced package to upgrade or replace central heating.
For information, ring Scottish Gas on 0800 316 6009.
The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) provides a grant of up to £2,000 on a similar basis to Warm Front Grants.
HEES Plus provides up to £3,600 for central heating (or £5,000 where oil central heating is installed or repaired) iIf you are over 60, disabled, or a single parent with a child under 16 and receive a disability or income related benefit. If you are over 80 you automatically qualify for HEES Plus.
You can also get a partial grant of £500 if you are over 60 and not on a qualifying benefit.
For applications/enquiries ring 0800 316 2815 or apply on the eaga partnership website.
If you are in receipt of any of the following you may be able to get help with heating:
Phone or go to the eaga partnership website for more information.
The Home Heat Helpline (www.homeheathelpline.org) offers help and advice for anyone living in England, Scotland and Wales.
The line advises on payment methods, grants and benefits such as winter fuel payments, cold weather payments, pension credits, disability benefits and age related payments.
Advisers will also offer help on how to stay healthy in cold weather and how to conserve heat.
The Home Heat Helpline telephone number is 0800 33 66 99. It is free to call and is open from 9am–8pm Monday to Friday and 9am–3pm on Saturdays.
There is also a free Minicom number, which is 0800 027 2122.
The Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk)has a network of local advice centres throughout the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/northernireland) as well as online information (in the "My home" section). You can request a call back from your local advice centre by calling 0800 512 012.
The Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) web site (www.defra.gov.uk) has information about and advice on how to deal with fuel poverty.
The social fund provides cold weather and winter fuel payments. For information on these schemes see Factsheet F41 - the social fund.
You can obtain copies of our factsheets by contacting Disability Alliance on 020 7247 8776 (voice and minicom) or by fax on 020 7247 8765.
April 2008
