In this section, we look at where you can get help to make your home warmer and more affordable to heat.
Contact your local Warm Zone
If you live in a Warm Zone area, please contact your local Warm Zone team (click here to see where the Zones are). They will be able to give you the very best advice. Warm Zones can connect you with a range of local and national schemes that best suit your needs.
The Zones also have access to other help, including energy efficiency, benefits advice and low-cost insulation schemes. The Warm Zones provide free and impartial advice and connections to the best available local help and support to keep you healthy, warm and cosy at home.
Some Zones may also be able to help with crisis funding if your situation is particularly difficult and you don’t qualify for help with insulation and heating elsewhere. Contact your Zone to find out more.
No local Warm Zone?
If you don’t live in a Warm Zone don’t worry, you can still get help by contacting a number of different organisations and making your own choices about what would be best for you.
Contact your local council
Your local council will be able to provide you with advice or tell you about the best available local advice and information.
Contact Warm Front
You may be eligible for a Government grant Warm Front is the Government’s grant scheme for cavity wall insulation, loft insulation draught proofing and heating improvements in England.
Depending on benefits entitlement and your family circumstances, the Warm Front grant is available up to a maximum of £2,700, with a maximum grant of £4,000 where oil-fired central heating is installed. Warm Front can provide a package of insulation and heating measures depending upon your personal circumstances and the construction of your home.
For more details about Warm Front and to see if you qualify for help click here or call free on 0800 316 6011.
In Wales, the equivalent to Warm Front is ‘HEES in Wales’. Click here for details of the scheme or call 0800 316 2815.
In Northern Ireland the grant scheme is called ‘Warm Homes’. Click here to find out more, or call 0800 181 667.
In Scotland, ‘Warm Deal’ can provide help with cavity wall insulation and draughtproofing. Click here for more details about Warm Deal or call 0800 072 0150 to apply for a grant.
Also in Scotland, if you are over 60 you may qualify for free central heating. Click here to find out more.
Other sources of help
Whatever your circumstances, there’s always something you can do to save energy, save money and help the environment too. Here are some more places to find help and advice:
Contact your Local Energy Advice Centre
The Energy Saving Trust sponsors advice centres throughout the UK. They can give you free and impartial advice based upon your individual circumstances.
Click here to find your local advice centre or give them a call on 0800 512 012. Alternatively, why not click here to go to the free Energy Saving Trust Grant Finder service.
Contact an energy supplier
Talk to your energy supplier. Most energy suppliers have schemes for low-cost loft and cavity wall insulation and in some cases you may be able to get the work done for free.
Energy suppliers of a certain size in Great Britain are required achieve targets for improving home energy efficiency. The suppliers therefore provide a range of assistance that can significantly reduce the cost of installing energy efficiency measures. What's more, you can take up offers from any of the energy companies, regardless of who supplies your gas and electricity.
Contact energywatch
energywatch is the independent watchdog for gas and electricity customers. They provide free, impartial advice on a range of energy issues. So whether you want to save money on your energy bills or you want to know more about the performance of each of the energy companies, energywatch can help.
energywatch can also help you to complain if you are experiencing difficulty in resolving problems directly with your energy suppliers. Click here to visit the energywatch website or call the energywatch helpline on 08459 06 07 08
Contact the Home Heat Helpline
The Home Heat Helpline is a free, central phone number offering practical energy advice for people concerned about paying their energy bills. To get your advice call 0800 33 66 99 and speak to a specially trained advisor. You can call yourself or on behalf of a relative, friend or patient or someone you may be concerned about. The Home Heat Helpline is open 9am–8pm Monday to Friday and 9am–3pm on Saturdays. The minicom number is 0800 027 2122. Click here to visit their website.
Other useful websites
A number of useful and relevant websites can be accessed via the internet. Please note that Warm Zones is not responsible for the content of these external sites.
Consumer links
The sister site to tradingstandards.net
Consumer advice run by DTI
Consumer Education Wales
“Your Doorstep – Your Decision”, Office of Fair Trading's campaign which alerts customers to the ploys commonly used by salesmen to trick them into buying goods or services, including energy, on the doorstep.
Market intelligence, procurement and energy management
handles gas complaints
The umbrella body for Citizens Advice Bureaux
General consumer body
Consumer body for Scotland
Shelter Cymru works for the prevention of homelessness and the improvement of housing conditions in Wales, and the right of everyone to a safe, suitable, affordable home.
Trading Standards
Trading Standards website
Consumer body for Wales
Centre for Sustainable Energy
Help with energy efficiency
Campaigning for warm homes
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Gives links to all Government sites
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Environmental regulator
The Office of Fair Trading
Office of Gas & Electricity Markets
Housing advice and services for students
Dept. of Health website
Online health advice from NHS
Saving energy in schools