The Chair welcomed John Vinson, from to give a presentation on Wirral Warm Homes.

John informed the forum that he worked for Energy Projects Plus, an environmental charity based in Wallasey, whose aim was to reduce the environmental and social impact of energy use within Merseyside and Cheshire. The charity worked with Cheshire and Merseyside Authorities and had more projects within the Wirral area than in any other local authority, aiming to offer advice, raise awareness and locate available grants to deliver / tackle the following:

• Reduction in household energy use
• Reduction of fuel poverty, with special focus in identified areas of high fuel poverty in the following areas:

o  Liscard

o  New Brighton

o  Leasowe/Moreton 

o  Bidston 

o  Woodchurch

o  New Ferry

• Carrying out visits to 9,000 - 12,000 homes, including:

o  2,100 face to face contacts

o  105 referrals for benefits advice

o  210 energy saving advice

o  2,350 affordable warmth measures installed

o  210 referrals for fire safety checks

• Events and Talks - 20 talks and 20 community events
• Training to front line staff - 100 staff trained from POPIN, One Stop Shops, Citizens Advice Bureau etc.
• Affordable warmth measures
  • Insulation – CERT, Warm Front and Cosy Homes
  • Heating - Warm Front, Health through Warmth and Cosy Homes
• National Grants
  • Utility Companies CERT - Carbon Emissions Reduction Target offering discounted insulation (currently as low as £99), Free for over 70s and for those on qualifying benefits
  • Warm Front - up to £3,500 to install insulation or new central heating or to replace or repair broken boilers for home owners or tenants receiving qualifying benefits, allowances or tax credits
• Warm Front 60+ - £300 discount for the repair of replacement of broken boilers (Approved contractors must be used)
• Local Area Grants
  • Health through Warmth - at least 50% discount to install new central heating or replace or repair broken boilers or install supplementary heaters where someone in the household has a cold or damp aggravated long tem illness

The initiative started in Liscard and we have exceeded our targets for contacts and referrals, and will be visiting New Brighton next. Visits within the Leasowe & Moreton area were due to start in June 2010 and will be carried out over three months. The area to be visited is Leasowe estate and around Pasture Meadow, but the roads had not yet be allocated. This will begin with a letter being sent to every household in the roads to be visited, giving details of the charity and the reason for the visits (stressing that we are not selling anything). The Police have been informed that the visits are being carried out. The visits will be done by a group of four people, who will:

• Issue a voucher to claim a free energy meter (from British Gas) and a power down device
• Offer energy saving advice
• Refer people to benefits advice that may result in increased income
• Look at entitlement to insulation schemes and heating grants

The Chair thanked John Vinson for his presentation and the following questions / issue were raised:

Q. How are the roads to be visited chosen?

A. This is based on the information provided by Wirral Council

Barbara Epstein – are you a private organisation; how can you ensure that vulnerable people are aware of who is calling on them, as they are often targets of bogus callers (there are concerns that badges may be copied and elderly people targeted); and can we have a list of the roads to be visited?

A. We are a registered charity; our representatives have id and will not enter any home unless invited. If people wish we can leave a card so that they can call us and we will be running at least one community event in the area (but such events are not always successful – we held one a few weeks ago and only 6 people attended). If you give me your contact details at the end of the meeting I will let you know the names of the roads we will be visiting.

Carolyn Curr – confirmed that she was pleased to hear that the charity was joining up with other agencies and asked if the measures were free for most people.

A. Many of the measures are free for those on certain qualifying benefits; the over 70s; people with the state pension as their main source of income; and people with long-term health problems. They are discounted for others. John confirmed that there were leaflets available at the meeting.

Minute Decision: Resolved that John Vinson be thanked for his presentation.