Wiltshire Council: keeping homes warm and safe

Wiltshire Council recognise that fuel poverty is a critical issue impacting health, wellbeing and dignity. To tackle this, the Warm and Safe programme provides an advice line operated by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), a Bristol based organisation. By ringing the phone line or contacting the service online, residents experiencing fuel poverty can access: 

Between April 2024 and March 2025, the service handled 4,562 enquiries and reached 4,286 households. 

CSE energy advisers can also sign vulnerable residents on to the Priority Services Register, as well as refer them for home assessments and improvements. In total, the Warm and Safe Wiltshire programme has facilitated 1,663 referrals for energy saving improvements, including loft insulation (265), heating measures (296), and solar PV installations (287). 

Cllr Clare Cape, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Co-ordination with the NHS said: 

“Warm and Safe Wiltshire has become a trusted source of advice and practical support, helping residents access energy saving measures, financial assistance, and tools to make their homes warmer and more efficient. Tackling fuel poverty isn’t just about reducing bills, it’s about creating warm, safe homes and reducing health inequalities across Wiltshire.” 

In addition to providing energy advice and referrals, Wiltshire Council ensure that CSE advisers are well equipped to identify residents who may benefit from other services. For example, advisers can refer households to local welfare assistance. Following referrals from the service, 902 claims for financial assistance were processed in 2024/25. 

The programme makes a tangible difference to household budgets. Overall, last year Wiltshire households saved £623,857 thanks to the advice and referral service in combination with schemes including the Household Support Fund (HSF), ECO contributions, and benefit entitlements. 

After receiving a wide range of support from the service, one client said: 

“I really appreciated the help given by your advisors, willing to understand my situation and help without passing any judgement. I have been able to stay warm during winter without falling into further debt and have taken the steps to overcome the arrears that I had gotten into.” 

CSE meet with the council regularly to feedback on common patterns they are identifying in their conversations with residents, ensuring the council’s cost-of-living support remains responsive to the needs of local households. 

Warm spaces serve as collection points for tools which can help residents in their own homes. Since 2024, this has included heated throws, which are available across all Wiltshire libraries and funded by the HSF. Residents who have been identified as facing fuel poverty are encouraged to take home a heated throw. At only 5p an hour to heat, this provision can make a huge difference to households facing high energy bills. 

Another tool to increase households’ resilience in the Winter months is the offer of thermal cameras. Library members can borrow a thermal camera to see where measures could be implemented to make their home warmer and more energy efficient. Users can discuss their findings with trained advisers to implement these home improvements. Wiltshire Council has seen high demand for these cameras across the county. 

Beyond the Warm and Safe programme, Wiltshire Council work hard to reach residents who might not typically access these warm spaces. In partnership with Julian House, the council administer a designated boater maintenance fund to support repairs and safety upgrades for boaters who would otherwise be homeless. 100 boaters have been supported by this fund so far in 2025. 

Similarly, supermarket and fuel vouchers are available through the Winter Hardship programme, funded by HSF, and have reached 320 families in the Gyspy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community this year. 

A significant part of the programme’s impact has been made possible through funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which enabled Warm & Safe Wiltshire to expand its community based support. This included funding a dedicated outreach worker to engage directly with military families, building on evidence of higher fuel poverty risk in areas with large concentrations of military housing. The additional capacity strengthened the ability to support households to take practical steps to reduce energy costs. The UKSPF funding that enabled this expansion concludes in April 2026.