Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

GoWarm

What is it?
GoWarm is a Government-backed partnership between Defra, Scottish Power and National Grid and managed by Community Energy Solutions. Funding for GoWarm is through an £800k grant from the Community Energy Fund launched in the budget in March 2007. This funds operational costs to carry out assessments of households to determine if they are in fuel poverty and / or if the property needs energy efficiency improvements. This is very much the same approach as was taken in the very successful warm zone initiative in Stockton in 2001 to 2004.

Where?
Assessments will be carried out in 6,000 properties, selected from the dataset which was built up during the warm zone project and has since been updated. Properties targeted will be those that require insulation measures or where there were levels of fuel poverty in existence.

Why?
Participation in the GoWarm initiative will help reduce some of the underlying fuel poverty that still exists in the borough as well as reducing domestic carbon emissions and contributing towards our climate change action plan and HECA (Home Energy Conservation Act) strategy.

When?
Assessors have been on site since the middle of November with all of the assessments to be completed by the end of January 2008. The assessments will then be processed and where energy efficiency improvement works have been identified they will be carried out through existing grant aid if the householder is eligible. A top-up fund will be built up by Community Energy Solutions to assist fuel poor households where there are no other funding sources available.

Who?
Assessments are carried out by trained assessors employed by Community Energy Solutions, and staff formerly of Warm Zone in Gateshead.

Other Benefits:
Stockton is the first local authority in the region to participate in this initiative because of the existing relationship with Community Energy Solutions and the experience gained through the Warm Zone project. There will undoubtedly be significant publicity opportunities generated and it is another good example of partnership working.