CAfS grant success will help a thousand chilly households

CAfS has been named as one of 15 charities from across the UK being awarded national funding that will see thousands of households saving energy, money and living in warmer, more efficient homes.

We’ve been awarded £148,000 from the Energy Saving Trust as part of the Energy Redress Scheme, announced on Tuesday 8 January, which redistributes voluntary payments from UK energy companies.

The grant means we can help more than a thousand Cumbrians to reduce their heating bills and get a warmer, more comfortable home. The new Cold to Cosy Homes scheme will offer extensive energy-saving and draughtproofing measures and advice for around 600 homes.

Another 400 people will be able to access energy-saving advice at drop-in sessions and by phone. CAfS will also train at least 25 staff at organisations that support vulnerable people, enabling them to help and refer even more Cumbrians who are struggling with their energy bills.

“CAfS has been the main local provider of advice and training on energy saving and fuel poverty in Cumbria for many years, and this grant is a major boost to the support we can offer people,” said Andrew Northcott from CAfS, who will lead the Cold to Cosy Homes scheme.

CAfS, which is in its twentieth year, will work with a wide number of referral partners, so that more households can easily access all the funding they’re eligible for in a smooth and streamlined process.

“Thanks to this grant, we can offer a more comprehensive service, as we’ll be able to assess people’s eligibility for other funding and support, including fire safety checks, winter fuel hardship payments, benefits advice, and local Winter Warmth grant funding.”

The funding also means we can continue researching a new way of testing the effectiveness of draughtproofing measures.

The Cold to Cosy Homes scheme will go live in September this year and will run for two years. In the meantime, CAfS can help eligible households who are feeling cold winter draughts or struggling with high heating bills through one of its current draughtproofing and energy advice schemes. Contact us now on 01768 210276 or [email protected].