On Wednesday morning (26 Nov 08) the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband MP will pay a flying visit to Reading to see for himself a brand new Reading Borough Council initiative, to combat heat and energy loss. Mr Miliband was invited to Reading by Reading West MP Martin Salter.

The revolutionary heat seeking thermal imaging technology is contained in a van and designed to detect areas of Reading which are wasting energy - over half of heat loss in an average home is through the walls and loft which wastes energy and money. The ‘Heatseeking’ Van is funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change with money from the Government’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Target Programme (CERT) and delivered by Reading Borough Council in partnership with the Energy Saving Partnership.

Once homes have been identified by the ‘Heatseeking’ Van as losing substantial amounts of energy, a dedicated team of trained advisors follow up and offer face to face advice for each interested householder. Insulation installation can be arranged there and then. Residents on means tested benefits or those over 70 years will be offered FREE insulation under the scheme while all other householders will receive a substantial discount on insulating their homes.

Martin Salter, Reading West MP and Labour Party Vice-Chair, Environment said : -

‘I am delighted that Mr Miliband has taken time out from his busy schedule to visit Reading and see for himself this pioneering technology in action. Many homes are literally leaking heat and cash so it is a huge boost from the Government to have advice and grants on keeping homes warm this winter when the Credit Crunch is affecting so many of Reading’s residents and families.”

The Government has also announced in Monday’s Pre-Budget Report measures to accelerate better heating and energy efficiency in 76,000 households by bringing forward a £535 million Green Stimulus Package.

John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Housing said : -

‘This is a great initiative and many thanks to the Minister for helping us to promote a scheme to keep people warm through the winter and save on household energy bills. This is exactly what people in Reading need - this winter could be a tough one with energy price hikes and the global financial problems so anything that saves money is very welcome. ‘

Paul Gittings, Lead Councillor for Environment said : -

“We all want to be greener, save energy and look after the planet but this frequently costs money. This scheme is fantastic in that we can reduce our energy use in our own homes which contributes significantly to our personal carbon footprint. We can save energy either for free or at a significantly reduced cost. Reading residents don’t have to wait for the van to call around either, they can just ring 0845390390 to take up the offer of insulation.”