How free carpets help relieve fuel poverty

Councillors from Levenmouth in Fife have agreed to provide tenants and homeowners with free carpets as part of the fuel poverty assistance program.

The council has given £30,000 to Cosy Kingdom, a Fife energy and debt advice service, to supply carpets and underlay. Up to 30 houses will benefit from the free carpets. The scheme recognises that relieving fuel poverty is not just achieved through assistance in paying energy bills. Quality carpets and underlay provide insulation to keep homes warmer using less energy. Council officers said that the carpet grants recognise the thermal capacity advantages that carpets provide.

A report by a Levenmouth council committee said that new carpets improve the quality of life for residents by keeping them warmer in Winter.

According to a report in 2023 by the homeless charity Big Issue, only 2% of social housing properties in the UK are let as furnished or part furnished with flooring already installed. The charity wants an end to furniture poverty, which they define as a lack of access to essential household items including furniture, appliances, bedding and carpets.

Some UK councils have welfare assistance schemes that provide grants towards carpets. In Wales, discretionary payments are available for those in need but there are strict conditions on who is eligible for them.

Every carpet retailer in North Wales sells good quality carpets at budget prices. Buying carpets is a good investment if they reduce energy bills. If the carpet lasts many years, it could pay for itself in fuel savings.