Hartlepool residents looking forward to a warmer winter

Householders in nine blocks of privately-owned flats on the Bakersmead estate in the town are now part of from the Warm Up Hartlepool scheme.

The joint initiative between Hartlepool Borough Council and home insulation company J&J Crump & Sons Ltd, aims to help householders in the borough access a range of energy efficiency measures that will make their homes warmer and cheaper to heat.

The council has been able to determine where funding should be directed and residents can take advantage of the scheme’s extended qualification criteria to benefit from insulation and heating measures.

Homes in certain postcode areas automatically qualify for assistance which made it possible for the Bakersmead estate flats to receive free insulation measures.

Steve Crump, MD of J & J Crump and Son Ltd said: “When our surveyors were in the area they discovered that the flats had been built with only partial wall insulation which meant that they were still losing a significant amount of heat through the walls.

“Being able to pull in funding because the flats are in a qualifying postcode area under the Warm Up Hartlepool scheme meant that we have been able to install cavity wall insulation to all the blocks of flats and loft insulation to the top flats.

“It’s great that over 50 households are going to really feel the benefit of this extra insulation as winter approaches, and hopefully see a significant reduction in their fuel bills.”

Bakersmead Management Company in partnership with residential property managing agents Town and City Management Limited - who are responsible for managing the flats and the estate - were delighted to be able to work with the scheme to get the properties free insulation.

Val Cartwright, director of Bakersmead management company, said: “We were obviously very keen to ensure that all the properties were fully insulated.

“Having the work carried out free of charge was a great opportunity for us.

"The team have done a great job and we are really pleased that all the householders in the blocks will feel the benefit this winter.”

Under the scheme thousands of Hartlepool homes will be able to apply for energy efficiency measures, such as wall and loft insulation and - in some cases - replacement boilers or new heating systems.

Homes in certain postcode areas could qualify, as well as those that are in receipt of certain benefits, have an income threshold of less than £32,000 a year, and those with long-term health conditions which are made worse by the cold and damp.

Tony Hanson, Hartlepool Borough Council’s assistant director of environment and neighbourhood services, said: "Not being restricted by a very exact set of criteria means that many residents in the borough that may have missed out on previous schemes will be eligible to apply for a range of energy efficiency measures which is great news."

For more information about Warm Up Hartlepool, visit www.hartlepool.gov.uk/warmuphartlepool.