Salford Energy Week has begun, with 10.8% of the city's population, or 11,333 households facing fuel poverty this winter, which is above the national average, and up almost 1,000 on the previous year (10,497).*
Topping the league table is Langworthy with 949 households, followed by Broughton (877), Barton (729), Irwell Riverside (720), Ordsall (615) and Little Hulton (612).
In the M38 postcode of Little Hulton and parts of Walkden there's also a massive 42.4% of households using pre-payment meters, which can cost up to £300 a year more than a household on a credit meter. Five other postcode areas have over 20% of households using the prepayment meters, including Eccles, Central Salford and Broughton/Irwell Riverside.
Altogether, 23,555 households in Salford use prepayment meters and a report for Salford Council lists the hardships of the things...
"Residents on a PPM (prepayments meters) cannot access the best energy deals, cannot spread the cost of a year's energy costs with the bulk of energy costs needed over the shorter winter period" it explains "Many households self-disconnect when finances are tight and money is needed for other essentials all of which places a strain on already depleted resources.
"PPM customers will usually need to top up at a shop or post office" it adds "meaning those who are elderly or infirm are forced to go out in all weathers."
For this winter, Salford Council has set aside £148,500 for a variety of Affordable Warmth schemes to help 1,304 vulnerable people who would normally be in receipt of benefits, or disabled or over 60, although qualifying for the schemes does vary.
There's the Green Handyperson scheme which are free pre-arranged visits to vulnerable households in the owner-occupied sector, which provide information on saving energy and reducing bills, plus installation of things like draught-proofing, energy saving radiator panes, smart plug devices which will turn off appliances when not in use, energy saving light bulbs and hot water tank jackets. There's also one hundred freestanding heaters for those with no working heating system.
The Affordable Warmth Gas Boiler and Fire check and repair scheme is basically a health and safety check on gas boilers, fires and gas cookers, plus there's a Warm at Home scheme to help vulnerable owner-occupiers to make their home more energy efficient.
This is done by paying a small grant to households to help them to do all sorts of stuff including fitting a new loft hatch, to fit loft and cavity wall insulation, or repair
radiators, immersion and electric water heaters, or to fit new heating timers, controls and thermostatic radiator valves.
The Energy Company Obligation, or ECO Support Hardship Grant helps households to replace heating systems but the Council notes that its tight qualifying criteria excludes many vulnerable people on low incomes and in fuel poverty, so it's also making its own Hardship Fund for Heating grant available to replace condemned gas boilers..
While the Gas, Boiler and Fire Checks and the Green Handyperson are available to over 1,000 people combined, the other, more expensive, schemes are well limited, with just ten people set to benefit from the Hardship Fund for Heating, thirty from the ECO Hardship Grant, and 38 from the Warm at Home Scheme.
"In hard times, it remains a priority of ours that our scarce resources are focused so that people in Salford, specifically some of our most vulnerable residents, get support they need in the cold winter months" said Councillor Paul Longshaw, Lead Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods, launching Salford Energy Week
"Nobody should have to suffer from cold related ill health" he added "All we need is for people to come forward and we can see how we can help."
The message is also `Get in quick' before the cash runs out...
For full details of all the schemes click here
*These are latest figures, although they date from 2014 as they are released two years behind.
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