With credit crunching, gas prices exploding and general economic gloominess, many residents, especially the elderly and more vulnerable, could be looking at a real winter of discomfort, if not discontent.
The bleak news that energy prices have already started to skyrocket is fuelling the concerns of local authorities.
If people can’t afford to heat their homes, there may well be an unhealthy knock-on effect for councils, taking in serious issues such as declining health and the need for greater social care, and it’s also likely to generate customer dissatisfaction.
While many of the greater socio-economic issues are not within our control, there are steps we can take to help sustain a warm and happy customer base.
So, with energy prices around the country starting to go through the roof, one of the things Teignbridge is concerned with is making sure that the heat from people’s homes doesn’t do the same.
More than 60% of heat lost from a home is through the roof and walls, rather than ventilation and windows, so it’s vital to ensure that homes are properly insulated if people want to avoid feeling the freeze as winter approaches.
Fortunately, there’s something we can do to help. As we all know, energy companies fund free home insulation for the elderly through the Government’s carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) scheme, and we need to make sure that the message is getting out and people feel the benefits.
In Teignbridge, we’ve taken this one step further by adding additional funding to the scheme, which we call Warm4Winter, and extending the free insulation offer to include anybody receiving benefits and some residents aged over 65, rather than the mandatory 70.
We’re working closely with our installation partner, Miller Pattison, to promote the scheme and also write directly to residents who might qualify.
To date, in 2008, there have been at least 2,000 applicants for the scheme, all of whom will benefit from warmer homes and lower bills by winter.
By promoting such schemes early, local authorities can make sure the work is done in good time, helping avoid a winter of cash-strapped and unhappy customers.
We’ve found that it requires a relatively-modest investment to drive the message home, and the benefits, in terms of goodwill, reputation, and healthier, happier customers, repay the investment.
It may only be one small part of a much bigger picture, but size doesn’t always matter. We’re all feeling the impacts of rising prices, and we’re keen to drive any initiative that mitigates the consequences for our customers.
Nicola Bulbeck is chief executive at Teignbridge DC
Protecting the public realm without shutting it down
As Martyn's Law approaches, this free special report from LocalGov and Hill & Smith sets out how councils can protect public spaces without shutting them down.
