Pioneering plan by town council to help those struggling with fuel poverty
The poorest households in Oswestry are to be given a helping hand to cope with rising fuel costs.
The Town Council has joined forces with the Marches Energy Agency charity in a pioneering initiative to provide house insulation for those most in need.
Councillors gave the green light to the scheme at their meeting last week.
It followed a notice of motion adopted by the Town Council brought forward by Councillor Duncan Kerr, Chair of the Finance Committee.
He said Government data highlighted that there were properties in Oswestry that do not have loft insulation and other basic energy efficiency measures. The project will see the Council working with Marches Energy Agency, a local non-profit making charity who specialise in this work, to draw down any funding available from the Government and energy industry and help these families heat their homes this winter.
The Mayor of Oswestry, Councillor Jay Moore said “People are going to find it difficult to heat their homes this winter and we hope that this project will help some people out of fuel poverty. The project will also make a massive contribution to reducing carbon emissions as our leaky domestic houses are one of the major contributors to climate change, so it’s a win for everyone."
Oswestry Town Council have pioneered this initiative which has already drawn interest from other Councils. The Town Council is investing £50,000 from its capital receipts into this programme. Any household in a Council tax band A or B property in Oswestry who is interested in this scheme is welcome to call Marches Energy Agency free on 0800 112 3743, or visit www.mea.org.uk.
Marches Energy Agency’s Director, Simon Ross said: “We are really concerned about the affordability of energy bills and the impact this will have on people in Oswestry, especially the most vulnerable, this winter. We can help with home visits and fitting low-cost measures as well as accessing other funding for loft insulation, and other energy efficiency measures. This can help make your home warmer, and energy bills a bit more manageable. The Council’s contribution and support will be crucial in allowing us to support those most in need, and its really exciting to be working closely with them. Please call us, and our friendly and experienced team is on hand to help."
