MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Gill Gardiner, Cabinet Member for Environment
Date of Issue: March 11th 2010
Contact numbers:
07983 624610
Lib Dem office: 0151 691 8544

FREE INSULATION FOR WIRRAL RESIDENTS

Reports to Wirral's cabinet on 18th March, shows Wirral is already taking steps to implement energy saving measures agreed in the Council's Budget, passed on 1st March.

One of these measures is the provision of free loft and cavity wall insulation to every household across the borough .

Applications for free loft or cavity wall insulation should be available from July, with door to door promotion and installations starting in September 2010. Door knocking to promote the offer will begin in areas of highest fuel poverty and with higher numbers of cavity walls, but any private household from other parts of the borough will be able to apply at any time.

Councillor Gill Gardiner, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for Environment said, “This scheme will contribute substantially to lifting households out of fuel poverty, creating warmer, healthier homes and reducing the Wirral's carbon emissions, as well as providing employment opportunities and apprenticeships.

“From the moment insulation is installed, an average home could save each year:

    • £265 on energy bills (1,410Kg of carbon dioxide) if they have the full insulation package
    • £115 (610Kg of CO2) with cavity wall insulation
    • £150 (800Kg of CO2) with full loft insulation
    • £45 (230Kg of CO2) by topping up existing loft insulation to recommended levels.”

Cllr Gardiner continued, “Money spent on the insulation scheme is money that will be paid back into the pockets of Wirral residents through reduced energy bills as well as improved health and housing standards.

“We're also helping community groups to reduce their energy bills by providing grants to help them to access energy saving measures for their buildings”.

A further report outlines how Wirral is already making significant progress in its other efforts to reduce carbon emissions through partnership working. A Wirral-wide Carbon Reduction Programme has been set up to measure and monitor progress.

The relevant 18th March Cabinet reports can be accessed through the links as follows:

Free Home Insulation Scheme:
http://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=12634

Reducing Wirral's Carbon Footprint – Progress Report:
http://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=12581