A HOUSING association has received a boost in its bid to tackle fuel poverty in North Yorkshire, after securing funding of almost £1m to install new heating systems in hundreds of its homes.

Broadacres has been successful in its application to the National Grid’s Warm Homes Fund.

The fund is designed to help people living in some of the four million homes across the country who struggle to pay for heating and are relying on expensive or inefficient systems.

Broadacres has been awarded £860,969 to install gas central heating in 323 homes which are currently heated by more expensive-to-run storage heaters or solid fuel.

The homes are in Northallerton, Great Ayton, Richmond, Bedale, Thirsk, Easingwold and Scarborough.

Gail Teasdale, Broadacres’ chief executive, said: “It’s important to feel safe, secure and warm in your home and, unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone.

“North Yorkshire is no different from anywhere else in the UK in that people are struggling on low incomes and relying on heating systems that are expensive to run or don’t heat their homes properly.

“Fuel poverty can have a devastating impact on people, so we are delighted to have been successful in our bid to the Warm Homes Fund.

“Providing new, more efficient heating in 323 of our homes is fantastic, but I must stress that this is just the start and we will be exploring other ways of helping more residents struggling with fuel poverty.”

The £150m fund was established by National Grid using part of the proceeds from the sale of its majority stake in its gas distribution business.

John Pettigrew, chief executive of National Grid said: “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.”

Broadacres Housing Association provides a range of services to approximately 6,000 homes in North Yorkshire, including in Hambleton, Darlington, Richmondshire, Harrogate, Redcar and Cleveland, Ryedale.

Established in 1993, the association has grown in terms of the number of properties it manages and its awareness of the needs of its customers.

Broadacres provides homes for rent, shared ownership and outright sale, as well as providing a range of support services to clients including those with mental health problems, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, those fleeing domestic violence and the homeless.