Newcastle Warm Zone: warmer homes for all

Jun 12 2007 By The Journal

Residents who want to save energy, save money and do their bit for the environment can turn for help to Newcastle Warm Zone.

The Warm Zone is a not-for-profit partnership with Newcastle City Council, Your Homes Newcastle, Scottish Power and National Grid that aims to ensure that all homes can be affordably heated.

It does this by delivering a package of free home insulation and heating improvements together with free benefits and energy efficiency advice.

More than £1m in support from ESF and ERDF has been used to both employ and train local people to carry out the home improvement measures in the target communities in Newcastle.

In June 2006, Newcastle Warm Zone won the Environmental Excellence category in the Partners in Europe awards for North East European-funded projects.

To date, over 90 previously unemployed local people have been trained as energy assessors, benefits advisors or administrators, helping the Warm Zone to deliver free home improvements to over 20,000 homes and to secure an additional £3m in income for residents.

PICTURE CAPTION: Samantha Dawson (left), Jill Delf and the Warm Zone team with their Partners in Europe award