Affordable Warmth is the ability of a household to heat their home adequately and within a budget they can manage.

Our aim is to help all households in Aylesbury Vale to afford their energy bills. We call this our Affordable Warmth Strategy.

We want to:

• Improve the energy efficiency of domestic properties, reducing the amount of energy needed to heat them.
• Ensure that people are aware of, and are claiming, all the benefits and other forms of assistance to which they are entitled.
• Provide financial support and access to financial services to help people to cover the costs of their heating.
• Encourage people to use their energy more carefully

Improving energy efficiency is important to us because:

The Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA)

1995 places a duty on local authorities to improve energy efficiency in domestic properties by 30% by 2010. We also have a target to reduce the proportion of heating needs coming from non-renewable energy sources.  We are on track to reach this target and are continuing to promote grants and discounts to insulate your home via the Cocoon Initiative.  For more information call 0800 804 8777

The Affordable Warmth Strategy (2001)

Aims to eliminate fuel poverty in Aylesbury Vale and improve energy efficiency.

The Environment Policy

The Council stress that energy efficiency is a major issue for our own properties and for the wider community.  We have joined the Local Authority Carbon Management programme, (to be launched May 2008) in an attempt to further improve our own energy performance.  The programme looks at energy efficiency, reduction of costs and carbon emissions from council owned buildings.

A number of organisation's have helped to develop the Affordable Warmth Strategy, and will now aim to deliver the Strategy for the benefit of local residents. These organisation's include Bucks County Council Social Services, Aylesbury Vale Carers Association, Aylesbury Vale Primary Care Group, Bucks Community Action, Bucks Empowerment Forum, Bucks Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, Aylesbury Vale Racial Equality Council and Aylesbury Vale Locality Forum.

Date Updated: 14/03/08