‘Keep Cosy’

Age Concern Oldham is working with Oldham Council, Oldham Citizens Advice Bureau, Housing 21 and a range of other partners to deliver the ‘Keep Cosy’ project, funded by the Department of Health, which aims to help people living in cold homes.

Age Concern Oldham will do, as a minimum, a home energy assessment and can provide/install the following, as appropriate:
• Hot water cylinder jackets
• Draught proofing
• Hippo water saver
• Radiator panels
• Nightlights
• Energy saving light bulbs
• Cold alarms
• Where a resident has no working heating, provide boiler repairs or temporary radiators/electric blankets
• Chimney balloons
• Manual socket timers
• Meals service
A number of additional services can be accessed through the scheme (see below).

Eligibility
Referrals can be made for residents of any age and there is no means test to access the project. The project is mainly aimed at people who own their own home or rent privately. People who live in social housing can be referred to the project but may not be eligible for all parts of the service, e.g. loft and cavity wall insulation. However, people in social housing would be referred on to their housing provider to deal with any problems as appropriate.

The service is available for people who are living in a cold home and who need help to keep warm. This could include people who are struggling to pay their energy bills, who are in fuel debt or who needs repairs to their heating system, have no heating at all, don’t know how to use their heating system or feel isolated during bad weather spells. The service can also assist people who are in crisis because they do not have access to food/cooking facilities and need emergency daytime respite and/or emergency overnight accommodation due to, for example, a flood or fire.