Help for Dudley residents struggling to pay bills

Grants can already be used to install a range of measures including loft and cavity wall insulation and draught proofing.

But now a scheme run by Dudley Council is being extended to boost the number of ways residents can insulate their homes.

Officials today said they wanted to find ways to help struggling households in Dudley borough struggling to save money on heating bills.

It comes after there was a sharp rise in people contacting the council's helpline offering support to people struggling to keep their homes warm between October and December last year.

Under the expansion of the Themal Comfort scheme, people can apply for help with council advisors going through the options open to households in sourcing grants.

After all sources have been looked at and, as long as the applicant meets the criteria, grants of up to £10,000 are available to fund the work.

Dudley Council's housing services director, Andrea Pope-Smith, said: "Where we are able to help, we want to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and to help them reduce the costs of heating.

"We can use our expertise to look at what funding is available and other financial opportunities, but once those have been exhausted we can look to provide grants from the council, as long as people are eligible.

"By extending the scheme to include more insulation work we are giving people every opportunity to save money and have warmer homes."

People in privately owned homes can apply for help from the council. Their homes will be assessed by experts. Applicants also have a financial assessment to see how much help they are entitled to.

For more information call Dudley Home Improvement Service on 01384 815118 or visit Harbour Buildings, Waterfront West, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 1LN.

Dudley Council has also urged residents to sign up to other schemes which aim to save people money on their fuel bills.

The council has joined a nationwide scheme called The Big Switch, where authorities across the country go to auction to see which energy company will offer the best deals for their residents.

The scheme is free to join but there is no obligation to switch if people are not in line for a saving.