Residents in County Durham are set to benefit from a new scheme which will see free central heating systems fitted to a number of homes without, or with only partial, central heating.
Thanks to a £6.5m government grant, Durham County Council, as part of Warm Up North, a partnership with eight other North East local authorities and British Gas, will begin installing free central heating systems into qualifying properties.
The £6.5m funding was awarded to a scheme involving nine North East local authorities – Northumberland County Council, Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, South Tyneside Council, Sunderland City Council, Hartlepool Borough Council, Gateshead Council and Newcastle City Council – with the emphasis on rural areas.
A number of residents in County Durham who may be eligible for the fund will shortly receive a letter with full information.
Cllr Eddie Tomlinson, Cabinet member for housing and rural issues at Durham County Council, said: “We’re very pleased to be part of this scheme which offers help to people who need it most.
“By tackling fuel poverty we can help to ensure people can afford to heat their homes, which in turn can have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.”
People can find out more information by visiting www.durham.gov.uk/freecentralheating or by calling Warm Up North on 0800 294 8073*
Twenty projects nationwide were awarded funding, totalling £25m as part of the Central Heating Fund scheme, which will improve the energy efficiency of more than 7,000 households across England.
