Comfort & Wellbeing
Advice and energy saving information
Your comfort & wellbeing
Children
For their own safety and to prevent accidents, please keep children away from all work areas, including scaffolding, tools, materials, rubbish, and skips. For safety reasons, your children must be supervised by an adult. Operatives cannot work in a property if any under 16s are not supervised.
Pets
Building works can upset pets. They can become distressed, injure themselves or cause accidents. Please make sure you keep pets away from work being carried out inside and outside of your home.
Dust
Some of the work may cause dust. It will be for short periods only and our operatives will take care to reduce dust and keep it to a minimum where possible. We will of course minimise the levels of dust and dirt that may be associated with the works and hoover up at the end of each day. If this is of concern to you, please speak us about measures you wish to take to protect your floor covering for the duration of the work.
Security Procedures
All genuine visitors to your home will carry an identification (ID) card or badge. It is extremely important that you check the ID card of all contractors and operatives before allowing them to enter your home. Works will be suspended if an operative feels verbally/physically abused or threatened by the resident(s), a family member or visitor – work will only resume once the contractor’s management believe it is safe to do so.
Internal Works
Residents to ensure that areas are clear to allow operatives to access and install the energy saving measures agreed for the property.
Gardens
Paths will be cleared on a regular basis. Gardens are only cleared once scaffolding has been removed. We cannot avoid mess whilst carrying out work but we will keep mess and debris to a minimum and clear up any debris caused by our work.
Energy Handyperson Service
As part of our Social Value commitments with Wealden District Council, we have recently launched our new offering – a free Energy Handyperson service.
If you are a Wealden social housing tenant, then you could now benefit from the following energy saving measures:
- Energy saving advice and tips
- 4 LED lightbulbs including fitting.
- Installation of radiator heat reflector foil to all radiators on external and party walls.
If you are interested in this new service, then please complete our online referral form.
*please note that measures installed under the energy handyperson service are subject to the social value budget allocated to the scheme. Following approval, we can then arrange for an operative to visit your property and see what is required.
Energy Saving Tips & Advice
With the increased costs homeowners and tenants are now facing with heating their homes, here are some simple tips to help save energy and money.
- Turn your heating thermostat down, just 1 degree could save you approx. £80** per year
- Switch off radiators in the rooms you are not using regularly and keep internal doors shut to avoid heating unoccupied spaces.
- Make sure radiators are not blocked by furniture and curtains to allow the heat to circulate
- Take a shower instead of a bath as this uses less water
- Check washing machine settings – see if you have a half load option for a small amount of washing. Alternatively, only use the washing machine on a full load.
- Where possible, dry clothes outside. If you do use a tumble dryer, clean the filter before using. If the filter is blocked the hot air won’t be able to circulate as freely and clothes take longer to dry.
- Turn lights off when you leave a room and if possible, use LED energy efficient bulbs. This could save you between £50 to £80** per year.
- Don’t leave mobile phones, tablets and laptops on charge as this still uses energy, especially if the charger has an LED light.
- Turn ovens and electric hobs off a few minutes before the cooking time finishes. The residual heat will keep things bubbling until your food is ready.
- Use lids on saucepans which will help food cook quicker
- If it is safe to do so, once you’ve finished cooking, leave the oven door open as it cools. This will help the kitchen warm – a great way to save on heating in winter.
- Don’t overfill the kettle – only boil enough for what you need so that you’re not wasting energy heating up water you don’t use.
**Potential savings are noted as a guide only. Actual saving will differ per property and energy usage habits**
Further information for support and keeping warm
Warm Home Check Service
0800 464 7307
text WARM to 80011
www.warmeastsussex.org.uk
ColdAlert
01273 484337
www.coldalert.info
Simple Energy Advice
0800 444202
www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk
Citizens Advice
03444 111 444
Health and Social Care Connect
0345 60 80 91
hscc@eastsussex.gov.uk
Discretionary East Sussex Support Scheme (DESSS)
0300 330 9494
Met Office
www.metoffice.gov.uk/weatherready
NHS website
www.nhs.uk/staywell
Priority Services Register (extra support from utility companies)
0800 169 9970
Energy Saving Advice Service
www.energysavingtrust.co.uk
For information on changes to benefits and what can be claimed, contact; East Sussex Welfare Benefits Helpline
0333 344 0681
benefitseastsussex@harcuk.com
Cost of Living
