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Peterborough-based charity PECT has received an international Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice. The award was given for the charity’s Warm Homes initiative, which aims to improve the lives of vulnerable households that are suffering from or are at risk of fuel poverty.

The Warm Homes campaign supports residents in the eastern region of the UK who are struggling to pay their energy bills or cannot keep their home heated at a sufficient temperature. PECT aims to reduce the numbers of people living with preventable ill health, and to help cut carbon for the benefit of the planet.

With overwhelming evidence that inadequately heated homes can have a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of residents, PECT offers help through home visits, providing energy advice and information packs, as well as signposting to other available resources and support.

Over the last few years, PECT has carried out 1,000s of free household visits. To ensure the longevity of the project the charity also trains frontline practitioners, who are able to refer people onto the service and help identify people in need.

The Green Apple Awards are presented annually to help recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world.

Warm Homes Project Officer, Nikki Dekker, said: “We are delighted to have received recognition for our work in this field – it really demonstrates the impact our work is having. The project is innovative because we focus on the personal contact, using our experience and expertise, to help encourage long-term behaviour change.”

“It is essential to address the fuel poverty crisis. Huge numbers of homeowners are unable to adequately heat their homes, and this has significant health implications and places enormous pressure on the NHS. Our project seeks to tackle this growing issue by providing householders with a free helping hand to make their homes more energy efficient and to help save money on their energy bills.”

To find out how PECT’s Warm Homes project can benefit you, please call 01733 568408, email warmhomes@pect.org.uk or visit www.pect.org.uk/WarmHomes.