For the second year running, the North of Tyne Winter Warm Partnership (NTWWP) has worked across the Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland local authority areas to bring together existing experts in their field to look at the direct effects of cold homes on the region’s health. The partnership has published its results and found that investment in making homes warmer not only saves the NHS money but saves lives too.
Organisations sharing their expertise included Warm Zones, the three local authorities, Citizens Advice Bureau, Age UK North Tyneside, Primary Health Trusts, Health through Warmth, Red Cross and the Home Improvement Agency.
In recent winters, the North East has alarmingly recorded the largest increase in the number of winter deaths in the UK, with a staggerring 26% rise year on year. The severe cold weather is dangerous especially for vulnerable people such as the elderly, the very young and people with serious illnesses or a disability. Cold weather also increases the risk of heart attacks, which in turn accounts for 40% of winter deaths.
To reduce the amount of winter deaths, the partnership identified those vulnerable households in Tyneside and Northumberland as being at risk and took steps to protect them over the cold winter months.
30,000 homes received warm home information and around 3,000 homes were visited to offer free checks and advice. Free insulation and heating services were delivered by Warm Zones and Health Through Warmth while draught proofing was organised through Home Improvement Agencies. In addition, community and voluntary groups were briefed to help get the life saving message out across the community.
Director of North Tyneside and Northumberland Warm Zones, Alan Milburn was delighted that the message had filtered so quickly to those people who needed help the most.
“Working together as a partnership has ensured that more than 150 homes have a modern, working heating system, another 60 now have the right amount of insulation fitted and a further 400 have received small energy saving measures or been given the right advice for their properties.”
Even small energy saving measures can mean the difference in a few degrees of temperature within a home that could prevent illness or conditions brought on by the cold. The partnership has estimated that the prevention of just five heart attacks as a result of the energy measures will repay their initial investment.
Warm Zones are a not for profit organisation working in partnership with the local authorities and aim to improve energy efficiency in the home, reduce fuel bills and provide a warmer, healthier home. Warm Zones are currently working in Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Northumberland. As well as making a property substantially warmer, a properly insulated loft can lead to savings of about £120.00 off the cost of a typical home’s heating bills and coupled with cavity wall insulation, the savings can amount to as much as £300.00.
Out of the people helped by the partnership, cases have included a pensioner who suffered from DVT, diabetes and heart problems whose storage heaters were inadequate for the harsh cold nights. A new gas connection was arranged and full central heating installed to improve the quality of the gentleman’s health.
In another case, a cancer suffer received a new condensing combi boiler after his old wall mounted heater and heating system broke down.
“The partnership’s investment of £350,000 has released more than half a million pounds of physical energy efficiency measures, improved the quality of people’s lives and reduced the risks considerably of winter deaths for some of the most vulnerable people in our region,” said Mr Milburn.
“On a householders level, it has brought in an additional £75,000 worth of previously unclaimed benefits and a massive £30,000 collective savings on energy bills. We at Warm Zones are delighted to be one of the driving forces of this life saving partnership.” The partnership has already agreed to start talks early to plan for next winter.
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Photo 1 shows: Pensioner Elsie Newman from Killingworth, North Tyneside receiving help from a Warm Zones advisor
Photo 2 shows the Warm Zones team from Northumberland and North Tyneside
Editors Notes
The Warm Zones can be contacted on:
North Tyneside 0191 2234199
Newcastle 0191 2777373
Gateshead 0191 4771919
South Tyneside 0191 4247914
Northumberland 01670 356642
Media Information from Keith Newman on 07814 397951
keith@highlights-public-relations.co.uk