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National Grid targets off-grid fuel poverty  

Last week National Grid announced that over 9,000 homes ranging from island cottages on Orkney to terraced houses in London are set to benefit from the first payments from its new £150m Warm Homes Fund. 
The fund was set up using part of the proceeds from the sale of the company’s majority stake in its gas distribution business. It will fund the installation of affordable heating solutions in fuel poor households which don’t use mains gas as their primary source of heat. 
The £150m from National Grid comes on top of the £589m already being returned to consumers on a voluntary basis by the company, bringing the total announced this year to £739m. 
Following the first round of bidding, a total of £33m is now being awarded to 35 local authorities and social landlords representing partnerships across England, Scotland and Wales. 
The money will be used to provide new heating systems for homes and will also fund programmes to help people with health conditions living in fuel poor households. 
“Around 4.5 million households across the country are in fuel poverty,” said John Pettigrew, chief executive of National Grid. 
“The aim of our new fund is threefold; to help to reduce bills, make fuel poor households warmer, and improve the health of people suffering the most severe levels of fuel poverty. 
“The Warm Homes Fund was launched in late spring 2017 and provides financial support for the installation of affordable heating solutions in many thousands of fuel poor households which don’t use mains gas as their primary source of energy.” 
The £150m is being awarded through three rounds of funding. Bids are now being invited for the second round of funding from local authorities and registered social landlords.   
For more details and a list of the successful first round bidders go to www.affordablewarmthsolutions.org.uk