Thanks to funding from Cadent Foundation, our Warmth 4 Health project covers all of Cheshire and Merseyside with advice and support for residents whose homes might be contributing to their ongoing ill-health.

The continuing Cost of Living Crisis is causing millions of households to underheat their homes. Unfortunately, while this can help keep bills low, cold spots in underheated rooms can attract condensation. When untreated, condensation can be the perfect breeding ground for black mould. There is a direct link between black mould and severe ill-health, and death.

Our specialist team of qualified Energy Advisors are trained to diagnose likely causes of condensation, damp, and mould, and provide recommendations to the resident. Some of the recommendations might be behavioural in nature, e.g.

• Always keep lids on pans when cooking, to prevent steam escaping
• Be sure to keep the kitchen’s internal door closed while cooking, so any unpreventable damp air cannot enter the rest of your home
• If your kitchen doesn’t have an extractor fan, always open a window or external door during and after cooking, to let out as much damp air as possible
• Be sure to keep your bathroom’s internal door closed while bathing, so any unpreventable damp air cannot enter the rest of your home
• If your bathroom doesn’t have an extractor, always open a window after bathing, to let out as much damp air as possible
• Never dry clothes on radiators, as this causes steam to rise and settle on cold surfaces, causing condensation
• Never use a bottled gas heater indoors. For every 1kg of gas burned, 1 litre of water vapour is released into the air
• We exhale around 1 litre of water vapour each night in our sleep. Be sure to air your bedroom as much as possible, to let this damp air out
• If condensation settles anywhere in your home, wipe it away. Even if you have to do this daily, it’s not worth risking your health letting black mould develop
• If possible, turn up the heat in rooms that are attracting condensation

To enquire about support for yourself or another person, or to find out more about this project, call our Save Energy Advice Line free on 0800 043 0151, or email advice@epplus.org.