Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth Claire Perry MP visited Foxhole on Friday to learn about Cornwall’s Winter Wellbeing Partnership work in reducing fuel poverty levels.
Meeting with Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay Steve Double, Mark Gardner Group CEO Ocean Housing, and residents who have been recipients of Warm Homes Funding, the Minister had an update on the Warm and Well Cornwall programme.
This programme helps residents who are suffering from ill health and living in a cold and damp home to have first time central heating installed and insulation improvements.
Cornwall Council and social landlords have match funded £3.5million investment from the National Grid’s Warm Homes Fund.
Recent figures released by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) show that Cornwall has reduced fuel poverty by over 5,000 homes in a year.
The Winter Wellbeing partnership launched in 2010 and has helped 7,400 homes and prevented 818 hospital admissions. In the last year alone NHS saved £61,000 based on 63 hospital admissions prevented – every £1 Winter Wellness investment saved the NHS £3.15.
Commenting, Steve said:
“It was great to welcome the Minister to Foxhole to talk with residents whose lives have been changed for the better by the Winter Wellbeing Fund.”
“I was pleased to share another example to the Minister on how Cornwall is leading the way nationally in this sort of innovative combined working.”
“I am regularly contacted by residents who suffer from damp and poor heating in their rented homes and this project is delivering real improvements in the living conditions for local people. I will continue to champion this project and look forward to seeing more people benefit from it in the near future.”