Warmer, safer homes in Bridgend

Last year Welsh Labour boosted Wales’ Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) by £10 million. This year Welsh Labour has increased the HEES grants from £2,700 to £3,600 to help pensioners, the disabled, families receiving benefits and other vulnerable groups of people install new insulation measures, heating systems and improve home security with window and door locks.

This new investment also includes a much higher grant of £5,000 to cover the cost of installing oil central heating in fuel poor households.

I am proud that Welsh Labour is delivering a major cash boost for this important scheme to make more homes warmer and safer for pensioners and other vulnerable people. Since 2004 the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme has helped to make 1734 of homes in Bridgend warmer – and there are many more who can still apply.

This is a major project, which is helping to cut heating bills for pensioners and is also good news for the environment and people’s health. The Labour Assembly Government is committed to tackling the scandal of fuel poverty, and this scheme is one of the most important tools we have to do this.

Through the HEES scheme Welsh Labour has already ensured that 350 households in Bridgend have benefited from a brand new central heating system and a further 295 have received repairs to broken or condemned boilers. An additional 993 households will make savings from having had their home insulated.

In terms of vulnerable groups of people who have been helped by HEES Wales grants, 155 households with children under the age of four, 666 households on DLA, and 869 households over the age of 60 in Bridgend have benefited from improvements to their homes.

I want to see more local pensioners and other eligible groups such as lone parents and families with children under 16 and are entitled to benefits take advantage of these grants. You can also call the HEES Wales scheme and speak to an advisor on FREEPHONE 0800 316 2815.