Warmer Homes, Advice and Money (WHAM)
WHAM is partnership project that covers Bristol & North Somerset helping to reduce financial, food and fuel poverty. It is funded by Bristol City Council, Bristol Energy (Fuel Good Fund) and The Warm Home Fund (administered by the National Grid).
The WHAM project started in 2017 and runs until 2021.
Who are the partners?
1. CSE: offer energy efficiency advice, accessing loans and grants for energy saving measures, help with fuel suppliers issues, offer budgeting advice, switching, applying to warm home discount etc
2. Citizen’s advice: support people with benefits, debt, housing, rights, appeals etc.
3. North Somerset council: offering a handyperson service to install energy saving measures. The Bristol partners are:
4. Talking Money: supporting people with debt problems.
5. We Care Home Improvements: can install small energy saving measures such as draught proofing, secondary glazing etc and undertake safe and secure home checks. If larger work is needed they can apply for further funding.
5. Bristol Energy Network: provide workshops and outreach activities and training up a number of energy champions to support the project.
WHAM provides support for low income families, unemployed, single parents and anyone who might be struggling to afford to heat their homes. The project employs caseworkers who rotate between the partner organisations co-ordinating the support for clients. The caseworkers act as a single point of contact for the client who will have their mobile number and email address. A case is not closed until all of the support from the partners is complete. Home visits can be undertaken if needed.
To refer people to the project:
Use our on-line referral form
or call the free phone number: 0800 082 2234
BEN’s role is to provide workshops and outreach activities, and training for Energy Champions to support the project. Following the success of our Energy Champions in the REPLICATE project, we are now developing a 12 month training programme for new WHAM Energy Champions starting from March 2020.
Energy Champions are key to the WHAM project and we are working with community partners to run the engagement programme. Our aim is to extend the reach of Energy Champions beyond the original REPLICATE area to Southmead and Greater Fishponds.
For the March 2020 update on what we have been doing as part of the WHAM project check out this post!