ONE in five households in Devon are believed to be living in fuel poverty, which means they cannot afford to adequately heat their homes for comfort and health. To address this problem, the Devon Strategic Partnership is funding an Affordable Warmth awareness campaign, targeted at the vulnerable communities in Devon, including Princetown. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the problem of cold damp homes and increase the uptake of grants and discounts available, making the home more comfortable whilst at the same time lowering the fuel bills. The isolated moorland settlement is one of three towns which will host an affordable warmth workshop in October. In partnership with the Devon Strategic Partnership, the Devon Energy Efficiency Advice Centre will be running the workshop, targeted at community groups and interested individuals. The events will provide information about fuel poverty in Devon and look at how community groups and other agencies can help to identify vulnerable households and make sure they get to learn about the grants available to them. The result of fuel poverty is people living in cold damp homes that are detrimental to their health, increasing the risk of accidents for vulnerable people and it can even contribute to social exclusion and depression. Fortunately there are many things that can be done to help lift households out of fuel poverty and one of the main ways is to make the homes more energy efficient through installing insulation measures, draught proofing and efficient heating systems. Such measures can reduce a household?s fuel bills by up to £200 per year and can make the home easier to keep at a comfortable temperature. There are many grants and schemes available to help people make their homes more energy efficient. Tell tale signs that a property might benefit from these measures include; l The house is always cold and the fuel bills are too high l There is no heating in the home or the heating is old and broken l The house is cold, smells damp or there are visible signs of mould growth on the walls. If you would like more information on these workshops or any other aspect of the affordable Warmth work, please contact Kate Dooley at the Devon Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512 012.