The Osborne Energy Partnership with the London Warm Zone

 

The London Warm Zone evolved from the Newham Warm Zone pilot scheme launch in 2001. Osborne Energy is the delivery arm of the London Warm Zone for installing insulation, replacement boilers and full central heating systems.

 

Osborne Energy is partnered with the London Warm Zone for the delivery of both the West London Housing Partnership and the East London Renewal Partnership programmes, delivering a programme of work which aims to improve the decency and energy efficiency of people’s homes. The schemes ensure householders obtain all available grants from central and local government, along with EDF Energy, to provide energy efficiency measures (loft and cavity insulation, central heating installations and upgrades) to bring homes up to the Decent Homes Standards for thermal comfort.

 

Osborne Energy manages the full programme of works including the installation of insulation measures, boiler replacements and full central heating systems for five East London Boroughs and seven West London Boroughs.

 

These schemes assist in The London Housing Strategy and the Government's national target to ensure that 70% of vulnerable private sector households (as defined by the Department for Communities and Local Government) live in decent housing by 2010. Customers considered to be “able to pay” also benefit from the scheme via discounts of up to 75% being offered for loft and cavity wall insulation with Osborne Energy / London Warm Zone approved contractors carrying out the work.

 

Using the data captured from the scheme, the London Warm Zone is also able to address fuel poverty by increasing household income through a highly successful income maximisation programme. To date this has raised more than £1 million.

 

Key features of the Warm Zones approach are:

  • The systematic assessment of households in a given geographical area to establish energy efficiency standards, income levels, fuel poverty status and eligibility for a range of grants and other assistance.

  • Co-ordinated delivery of a range of energy efficiency programmes and other energy related services to all households, including the vulnerable.

  • Integrated effective support for income maximisation, social inclusion, health and wellbeing initiatives within fuel poverty activities.

  • Achievement of economies of scale by integrating different sources of funding and clustering the delivery of energy efficiency improvements.

  • The facilitation and improvement of delivery through the development of local community-based partnerships.