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Warm front

The Warm Front Scheme is a government-funded initiative administrated by a company called Eaga.

Warm Front Scheme eligibility

From 14 April 2011, to qualify for Warm Front, a person must live in their own home or rent privately and the property must have a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating of 55 or less. This will be assessed at the beginning of the technical survey.

A householder who is entitled to the Cold Weather Payment should qualify for Warm Front if their property also has a SAP rating of 55 or less.

Qualifying households can get improvements worth up to £3,500 (£6,000 where oil central heating and other alternative technologies are recommended).

Grants are available through Warm Front for improvements such as:

  • loft insulation;
  • draught proofing;
  • cavity wall insulation;
  • hot water tank insulation;
  • gas, electric, liquid petroleum gas or oil heating;
  • glass-fronted fire (the Warm Front scheme can convert your solid-fuel open fire to a glass-fronted fire).

A householder or their spouse must be in receipt of one of the following:

  • Pension Credit;
  • Guaranteed Credit or Savings Credit;
  • Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and have any of the following:
    • parental responsibility for a child under five who ordinarily resides with that person;
    • Child Tax Credit (which must include a disability or severe disability element for a child or young person);
    • Disability premiums (income support)
    • (enhanced disability or severe disability element premium);
    • Pensioner Premium (higher pensioner premium or enhanced pensioner premium).
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) which includes a work related activity or support component and have any of the following:
    • parental responsibility for a child under five who ordinarily resides with that person;
    • Child Tax Credit (which must include a disability or severe disability element for a child or young person);
    • Disabled Child Premium;
    • Disability Premium (enhanced disability or severe disability element premium);
    • Pensioner Premium (higher pensioner premium or enhanced pensioner premium).

Warm Front applications

Householders can apply by:

How the Warm Front scheme works

There are four steps in the Warm Front scheme:

Step 1: Application

Apply online, by post or over the phone

Step 2: Technical survey

If your application is successful, a Warm Front engineer will visit your home and suggest which improvements could be made under the scheme. You will be given an appointment for a survey when your application is processed. If during this survey it is identified that the problems relate to a gas heating system that could easily be repaired within a three hour time limit, then the Warm Front engineer will carry out the work while at your home. 

Step 3: Allocation of a Warm Front installer

An installer will be allocated to you following your survey. The installer will then be in touch to agree an installation date.

Step 4: Installation work

Fully-trained Warm Front installers will make the improvements in your home. From the point of being  allocated to an installer they aim to have insulation work completed within 3 months of your technical survey and heating works completed within a maximum of five months of your survey.

After installation

A random sample of installations will be inspected following installation. This is to ensure the highest standards of work are maintained within the scheme. If your property is chosen in this sample you will be contacted by Eaga to arrange a suitable inspection date.

All customers that receive a new or replacement gas heating system will also get an aftercare service that includes an annual service visit.

For more information contact Private Sector Housing by telephone: 01634 333757 or by email: housing@medway.gov.uk

Write to: Private Sector Housing, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR

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