A partnership has been launched with Keep Shropshire Warm (KSW). Shropshire fire and Rescue Service is piloting this initiative at seven retained stations. These include Bridgnorth, Cleobury Mortimer, Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Minsterly, Ludlow, and Oswestry. These areas have been selected using information from KSW and CFS statistics. Keep Shropshire Warm advisors will in turn promote Home Fire Safety Survey's.
Keep Shropshire Warm offer home energy advice and free or reduced rates for loft and cavity wall insulation (depending on circumstances). KSW aim to significantly reduce fuel poverty in Shropshire by helping households reduce their fuel bills and make their homes more affordable to heat. The classification on fuel poverty is based on a household that spends 10% of their annual income on heating their property.
KSW state that Shropshire has a high percentage of homes that are considered to be in fuel poverty because of the large number of listed buildings, un-insulated or under-occupied homes. Shropshire is also very rural and can have homes that are not connected to the gas grid.
We have entered into this partnership to try to reduce the public using 'higher risk' ways of heating their property. It will also contribute to the local community by reducing winter deaths. Keep Shropshire Warm visited around 3,000 homes in Shropshire last year and we anticipate in receiving a number of referrals from this partnership.
