Regional charity Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) has received a funding boost from the Department of Energy Security that will enable it to deliver home energy advice to even more homes in Cumbria. CAfS will be working with the North West Net Zero Hub to deliver the programme.
The funding will be used to create at least 15 new jobs to help expand CAfS’ Cold to Cosy Homes service to support more people. The Cold to Cosy Homes service gives free advice and energy-saving equipment to help households in Cumbria reduce their energy bills, become more energy efficient and reduce their carbon footprint. CAfS will now be able to offer bespoke, impartial home retrofit advice and guidance to nearly 800 vulnerable households over the next two years. This will be supported by a programme of events – online retrofit webinars, open homes events and Cold to Cosy Homes staff providing advice at community events.
CAfS Home Energy Programme Manager, Andrew Northcott said, “Our well-established Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria service has supported 5,500 people since its inception. This new funding will enable our team to support even more households with specific, detailed, and independent retrofit advice, making even more homes across Cumbria warmer, drier, healthier, and cheaper to heat. Making their homes more energy efficient will also reduce their carbon footprint, contributing to our ultimate aim of a zero carbon Cumbria by 2037.”
The extension to the Cold to Cosy Homes Service means that CAfS can develop and enhance the scheme by offering in-depth home retrofit advice to hard-to-reach consumers and hard-to-heat homes. Many homes in Cumbria are traditional stone-built properties, off the gas grid that are notoriously difficult and expensive to heat.
Andrew continued “Adding to our existing team of expert advisers, we’ll be able to better advise residents of the traditional homes we have here in rural Cumbria, on issues such as sympathetic wall insulation, improved ventilation, and low carbon heating sources such as heat pumps, or solar panels. We’ll also be able to signpost to grants and other government schemes.”
The service is open to all Cumbrian residents and additional support is available to people who have a health condition, are on a low income, are recently bereaved or are moving in and out of homelessness. You can find out more details including how to get in contact on their service page.