Arbed 2 fuel poverty scheme in Pontypool records positive results

A scheme developed by the Welsh Government with EU support and designed to help combat fuel poverty across the country’s poorest areas has already started to pay off, cutting energy bills and also creating jobs in the process, a new article in the local media has revealed.

The scheme proved to be particularly successful across Pontypool, where social landlords Melin Homes decided to use a community-based approach to this scheme, meaning that they’ve engaged local businesses for manufacturing, supplying and installing energy efficiency measures, as well as providing training and employment opportunities to local workers.

The Arbed 2 scheme is said to have created 204 sustainable employment and training opportunities, while saving 3,785 households an average of £305 per year on their fuel bills.

The Welsh Government considers this scheme to be a vital component of its Tackling Poverty Action Plan.

Approximately £14.3m in project expenditure has been re-invested in Wales through the Arbed 2 project, with 45 disadvantaged and previously unemployed people receiving employment, and 431 weeks of training being delivered. Practically, for every £1 spent, £2 was said to have been generated in the Welsh economy, with 110 per cent of sub-contractors used by the scheme paid within 30 days.

Implementing a solution designed specifically to optimize a central heating system’s level of energy efficiency is also something households taking part in such schemes should take into account, and this is specifically where HeatingSave could put its extensive experience and multiple features to very good use.

HeatingSave is also approved to work and save fuel within the Energy Technology List, which is managed by the Carbon Trust on behalf of the Government. It is also approved by the Department of Energy & Climate Change and the Energy Savings Trust and was specified by the Building Research Establishment for the energy efficient homes retro-fit program, called The Greenhouse Project.

Last, but certainly not least, it’s important to mention that HeatingSave is a component part of the Government’s Green Deal program.

If you’d like to find out more about HeatingSave’s accreditations, just visit the dedicated section on our website, and for any other information, just get in touch with our dedicated product team.