Keeping warm this winter

With increasing energy prices and other cost increases, many people are worried about keeping their homes warm this winter. If you are one of these people, then Switched on Portsmouth may be able to help.

Switched On Portsmouth is run by Portsmouth City Council and aims to provide Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant residents with a number of ways to save energy, money and carbon. Of particular importance is to provide fuel support to poor and vulnerable households. Last year, over 10% of households in England were in 'fuel poverty'; this is defined as a situation where someone who has a relatively low income is living in a property that cannot be kept warm at a reasonable cost.

According to Switched on Portsmouth, thousands of Portsmouth residents are eligible for free energy and money saving initiatives.

Residents can receive:

• Free solar panels, air source heat pumps and solid wall insulation.
• Free gas central heating, cavity wall insulation and loft insulation.
• Further help, advice and measures to reduce energy bills.

Check out their website, www.switchedonportsmouth.co.uk. You will find a list of tips to save money and stay warm this winter. The top tip is to check if you are eligible for a free home energy visit by LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership). If you are, you could get free LED lightbulbs, radiator reflectors, referrals to anincome maximisation service to boost your income, referrals to grant-funded larger measures such as insulation and more. The website also has useful information about in-depth case support from their freephone plus lots of learning tools about energy in general, for example how to understand meters and smart meters.