Winter credit crunch advice for 3,500 Great Places households » Housing » 24dash.com

A total of 3,500 pensioners and young families are getting a pre-winter visit with money and enivronment-saving advice from their landlords Ashiana Housing Association, Manchester Methodist Housing Association and Space New Living, all part of Great Places Housing Group.

Friendly faces are knocking on doors, armed with crucial credit-crunch busting information as part of winter wellbeing campaign You Can Glow When You’re In The Know.

A total of 180 staff – including top bosses – aim to make sure older and vulnerable people, and those with young children, are happy and well in their homes and ready for winter.

They’ll troubleshoot any worries, advise on fuel efficiency and offer a ‘benefit health check’ to make sure tenants are claiming everything they’re entitled to.

Ciara Davies, financial inclusion manager at Great Places, said: “We’re not just about providing places to live, it’s important to us that people are warm and well – especially in the current credit crunch.

“There are all sorts of ways that our customers can save money and help to look after the environment and we’ll be giving as much helpful advice as we can.

“We’re also delivering Ainsley Harriot instant soup and sweet treats - all good foods for a quick energy boost - as well as this vital message.”

You Can Glow is in its fourth year and includes young families with children under five for the first time, taking the total number of homes being visited to 3,500. Staff expect to spend an average of half an hour at each property.

In addition, all 14,000 Great Places households will get free low-energy lightbulbs thanks to the Housing Corporation, EDF Energy and domestic energy company eaga, who have joined forced with the group.

Great Places Housing Group’s green advice for looking after yourself this winter – and the environment

HEATING

Draw the curtains when it’s dark to insulate your room
Use your timer, don’t just leave the heating on
Keep doors shut and block draughts
Turn your thermostat down by 1% - that can cut your bills by 10%
Turn radiators down in rooms you don’t use as much
Keep furniture away from heaters so that the warmth fills the room

ELECTRICITY

Switch off your appliances properly – the ‘standby’ button uses almost as much electric as if it was on
Unplug mobiles, shavers, etc, when they are charged
Switch lights off when you don’t need them on
Wash only full loads, and use your economy programme
Use low-energy light bulbs all over your home
Move the fridge and freezer away from hot sunlight or radiators
Clean the condenser coils at the back of your fridge and freezer and when your freezer isn’t full, pack it with crunched-up paper or bubble-wrap

COOKING

If you’re using a small pan, choose a small ring – and don’t forget the lid!
Switch the heat off five minutes before your veg is ready – they’ll finish cooking in the steam, or better still, use a multi-layered steamer

HOT WATER

Don’t set your hot water thermostat higher than 60 degrees C or 140 degrees F
Fix leaking taps and turn them off fully
If you have an electric immersion, turn it on half an hour before you need it and turn it off when you don’t.