People with chronic health conditions in more than 50 Bedford homes benefit from Keep Warm scheme

People with chronic health conditions in more than 50 Bedford homes have benefitted from a new scheme to enhance their domestic fuel efficiency.

The Bedford Warm Homes scheme will not only improve their health but could also significantly reduce their carbon emissions.

A further 320 households also received expert advice to help improve their energy efficiency and save them money.

The Bedford Borough Warm Homes project – funded by Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, commissioned by Bedford Borough Council and run by the National Energy Foundation’s warmth and wellbeing service Better Housing Better Health – was designed to reduce health inequalities in the borough.

More than 1,600 patients were invited to take part, because GP records showed they had a chronic health condition which could be made worse by living in a cold or damp home. An additional intended benefit of the scheme was a reduction in carbon emissions.

Residents who met the eligibility criteria were offered home improvements with an average cost of £2,500. The main products installed were replacement gas boilers, thermostatic heating controls and loft insulation.

Chief officer for public health at Bedford Borough Council Ian Brown said: “Participants in the Warm Homes programme were positive about their experience with many stating they felt warmer, were less worried about paying energy costs and that their home now had a less negative impact on their health.

“We know that most of the participating householders were aged over 50, and that a majority had visited their GP in the previous six months because of a chronic health condition which could be made worse by living in a cold or damp home.

"In fact three quarters of the residents felt their property had a negative effect on the health of someone in their home.”

The evaluation of the scheme is ongoing but it is expected the NHS will make savings against the total project cost of £358,000 through reduced attendances at general practice and A&E.

Mr Brown added: “One of the aims of programme was to support the council’s work in tackling climate change.

"We’ve estimated the lifetime carbon savings arising from installations provided to 53 households - using fuel type and the measures installed based on a standard house - was 684,959kg, the equivalent of driving more than three million miles.”

As not all the funding was spent, Better Housing Better Health will be able to provide home energy visits and bespoke support and interventions to vulnerable households within the Borough.

National Energy Foundation operations director Alison Vickers said: “We are continuing to deliver the Better Housing Better Health service across the East of England.

"This service means we can support residents with free impartial expert advice and assess households for a variety of funding schemes and support to help improve the energy efficiency of homes and save the household money.”

> If you’re struggling to pay your energy bills or are worried that your home may be affecting your family’s health, email [email protected]

You can also call the free helpline on 800 107 0044.