Dear Colleagues
Changes to Sheffield City Council’s Free Insulation Scheme
Sheffield City Council’s Free Insulation Scheme offers free loft and cavity wall insulation to homeowners and private tenants across Sheffield . The scheme has been running since March 2009 and working with Carillion Energy Services (formally Eaga Insulation ) we have signed up over 35,000 households and have insulated over 20,200 lofts and 8,500 cavity walls. For more details on the scheme please go to www.sheffield.gov.uk/freeinsulation
Funding for the scheme will continue into 2012/13. The CERT grant which funds a large part of the project is however due to finish part way through this year, though this will be replaced by new arrangements referred to as the ‘Green Deal’. We are reviewing how support for energy efficiency improvements can continue in Sheffield using this, and will provide further information once the situation is clearer. We want to make sure as many Sheffield residents are able to take advantage of the scheme as possible, before the changes come into effect.
There are two ways households are eligible:
1) Area by area
We are continuing to work on an area basis but we’re improving our targeting and budget control by focusing on areas smaller than a ward, called Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) using data (the Indicies of Multiple Deprivation) from the Office of National Statistics to offer the scheme to those who are in the most deprived areas using the current funding. When we get to those places the insulation will be free for all homeowners, private tenants and private landlords, regardless of age or benefits in line with how the scheme has run to date.
We’ll continue to write to residents when we get to an area letting them know the scheme will be available to them for a limited time only, and visit them door by door, street by street to sign them up for the scheme. If we don’t hear from residents we’ll send them a final letter letting them know when the scheme will be closing in their area and encouraging them to contact us to sign up.
2) Priority customers
We want to make sure that the most vulnerable can have their homes insulated straight away before the scheme’s funding changes. We are hoping that your work with children and families will help to identify households that would benefit from free insulation.
Homeowners, private tenants and private landlords who have someone livingin their property aged 70 or over or on income or disability benefits can take up the scheme now, no matter where they live in Sheffield . Eligible benefits include:
- Council tax benefit (not including single person reduction)
- Housing benefit
- Income support
- Income based jobseekers allowance
- Attendance allowance
- Disability living allowance
- Disablement pension (must include a constant attendance allowance)
- Child tax credit (when household income is £16,190 or less)
- Working tax credit (when household income is £16,190 or less)
- State pension credit
- War disablement pension (must include a mobility supplement or a constant attendance allowance)
- Income-related employment and support allowance
Full details of the priority criteria can be found on our website: www.sheffield.gov.uk/insulationeligibility
We need your help to offer the scheme to over 70s and those on benefits across Sheffield
We are keen to ensure groups and professionals across Sheffield are aware of our free insulation scheme so we can help as many vulnerable people as possible. If a house is fully insulated it is can save the householder hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills and can increase the thermal comfort of the home reducing health problems associated with cold damp houses. Since the scheme started we have attended hundreds of events, team meetings and festivals to sign people up for the scheme and give out energy efficiency advice. Please contact us if :
·You could provide us with a list of residents who are eligible for the scheme
·You would like to refer service users or residents to the scheme
·You would like one of our team to attend a meeting to give a briefing about the scheme
·You would like us to write an article for a newsletter or publication
·You are holding any events we could attend to promote and sign people up for the scheme
·You would like copies of our posters or leaflets to distribute (please see attached for a copy of our poster)
How do residents sign up?
There are a number of ways to contact the team to sign up for free insulation:
- Call us on 0800 915 9096 (free phone) or 0114 203 9202. Lines are open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
- Email us at insulation@sheffield.gov.uk with a name, address and telephone number and we will contact the resident to complete the initial paper work either by appointment or over the telephone.
- Write to us at SHAW Team, PO Box 1918 , Sheffield , S1 2XX
Thank you for taking the time to read this email. Please forward it on to anyone you think would find it useful, or any email distribution lists you have. More information can be found on our website www.sheffield.gov.uk/freeinsulation but please contact me on the details below, or call our free phone number on 0800 915 9096 if you have any questions, or require any further information.
South Community Assembly 