COMING home to a warm house is for many of us quite a normal occurrence.

But for many people this would be a luxury. Many people cannot afford to heat their homes and many others do not have central heating.

Poor energy efficiency in existing homes and rapidly rising fuel costs make it unaffordable for low income households to adequately heat their homes. It is estimated that in Bradford there are 28,742 homes living in so-called fuel poverty, meaning that, given their income, they cannot afford to keep their house warm at a reasonable cost.

Financial help to install measures such as double glazing and boiler upgrades through the Government’s Green Deal Home Improvement Fund came to an end earlier this year, sparking criticism from many quarters, including Bradford South MP Judith Cummins, who recently said that it was harder than ever for families to afford energy efficiency schemes in their homes.

Yet help is still available to low income households through a scheme overseen by Better Homes Yorkshire, which aims to deliver energy efficiency improvement to more than 12,000 homes across the Yorkshire region over the next three years.

Its Central Heating Fund provides cash which can be used to provide a heating system for a home which is currently not using gas, but accessible to the supply network, or does not have gas its main heating fuel.

Householders who qualify can also apply for home improvements to standard and hard-to-treat wall insulation and new A-rated boilers which can be installed with funding of between £500 and £1,500 provided towards it.

Funded by the Government’s Depart of Energy and Climate Change, the scheme is a joint venture between the community regeneration and housebuilding company Keepmoat and the property services firm Willmott Dixon. It is managed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority which brings together various district councils and the Leeds City Enterprise Partnership, as a united force for economic growth.

To be eligible for free or highly subsidised central heating households must have an income of less than £15,860 after mortgage deductions and living costs

“Funding for the central heating scheme was released in September and we have already helped around 93 households in Bradford,” says head of sustainability for Keepmoat Stephen Batty. “Central heating can make a real difference in a home. There are various reports that verify the health benefits of having less draughty houses, warm homes. It reduces illness, visits to GPs surgeries and admission to hospitals.”

A cold home is bad for your health and increases the risks of cardiovascular, respiratory and rheumatoid diseases as well as the worsening mental health. Cold homes are a significant contributor to the level of excess winter deaths in the UK every year. In 2009-10, there were an estimated 25,400 excess winter deaths, over 21% are attributable to the coldest quarter of homes.

Work carried out on 1000 homes in Oldham under a similar Keepmoat scheme had a noticeable impact on local NHS and social services spending, reducing A&E admissions by a third among those who benefitted from the scheme.

“We go along and survey the property and speak to the householder about what could be done,” says Stephen. “We look at the insulation of the house, windows, doors, cavity walls, everywhere that heat could escape.”

Every home in Bradford is different and particular areas are entitled to different measures.Not all work is eligible for financial help, but those areas which are not will be made clear to home owners.

Bradford has a share of £1.7million given to Leeds City Region, of which it is part, to implement the scheme.

Cavity wall insulation can also be provided, either for free at qualifying homes, or a subsidy can be provided of up to 50 per cent. “The amount depends upon how much carbon can be saved by installing it,” says Stephen.

Keepmoat is also working with Bradford Council to deliver one-off schemes using external funding, including a show home in Keighley, which is about to open to the public.

People will be able to see how a hard-to-treat Victorian stone-built terraced house, similar to many throughout the district, can benefit from internal wall, underfloor and ‘room-in-the-roof’ insulation as well as high-performance energy efficient double glazed windows and a good quality gas central heating system.

It is hoped that people including landlords will take a look at how savings can be made on household bills through installing energy efficient measures.

*For for more information visit betterhomesyorkshire.co.uk or call 0800 597 1500 or 0113 897 0977.