Making warmth more affordable

Mandy Nelson, AUKG's Head of Operations

Last winter we partnered with National Grid’s Community Matters Fund to provide a hundred Warm Packs to older people across the county, making warmth more affordable!

Thanks to our partners at National Grid, Age UK Gloucestershire was able to provide Warm Packs last winter to older people experiencing or at risk of fuel poverty and/or at risk from poorer health outcomes associated with living in a cold home. This project sought to make warmth more affordable, thereby reducing the risk of poorer health outcomes.

The AUKG Team made up Warm Packs full of useful items to help alleviate the cold including:

• A heated throw
• Paper room thermometer
• Flask – for hot drinks
• Pair of socks
• Radiator key
• Draft excluder to sit at the bottom of the door
• A jar of hot chocolate!

Clients who were eligible were identified by our teams as being vulnerable, often living alone and were aged 75 years, struggling with the cost of heating their home and at a higher risk poorer health associated with living in a cold home.

We set about delivering the Warm Packs to people and they were extremely well received.

Over 95% of those who responded to us said that they were able to stay and feel warmer as a result of using the Warm Pack contents.  The most welcomed items where the electric heated throw and the jar of hot chocolate.

Here are some of the heartfelt comments we received from our Warm Pack recipients:

I restrict my heating because of costs and the pack helped keep me warm.

The throw keeping me snug. Draft excluder a plus. All in all, a wonderful gift to unable me to cope with weather and enjoy life without to many worries.

I used the heated throw all the time - it was a very welcome gift. My central l heating was not used a great deal this winter due to expense and having to save for a new boiler. I have various health issues so keeping warm was important. It was also a wonderful boost to morale.

Sadly though, the feedback we received from the Warm Pack recipients revealed that, due to the worry about the cost of heating, many avoided putting their heating on; even though the majority of recipients agreed that living in a cold home makes their health worse. It is worrying that so many older people avoid putting their heating on due to worry about the costs. This highlights just how importance it is for Age UK Gloucestershire to run intervention projects like this to support vulnerable older people, so they can stay warmer for longer in their home.

If you know of an older person who needs financial support, please visit our Benefit Checks page.

You can help us support more vulnerable older people in wintertime by setting up a monthly donation.