AN AMBITIOUS ‘green’ project originating in Kirklees has become a model for councils as far apart as London and Scotland.

Warm Zone is a £20m plan to assess and, where necessary, fit every home in the borough with loft and cavity insulation, energy-saving light bulbs and carbon monoxide detectors.

It’s not the Government-sponsored Warm Zone – which has been running since February 2007 and will close in June, 2010 – it is a co-operation between Kirklees Council, specifically, Kirklees Energy Services, and Scottish Power.

In principle, its brief is to “cut carbon dioxide emissions by promoting the sustainable and efficient use of energy”.

In practice, it’s surveying about 450 homes a week and offering bundles of advice and material help that save each household an average of £200 a year.

In some instances, Warm Zone’s intervention is saving households £3,000-a-year.

The project has assessed 65,700 homes and helped more than 21,000 of them, regardless of the size of property or income level of the householder.

Assessors are busy in Greenhead, Birkby and Fartown at present.

Warm Zone manager Emma Kovaleski is enthusiastic.

“Frankly, I’m in love with the project,” she said. “The benefits have spread right across the borough.

“In reducing the amount of carbon dioxide Kirklees produces, thousands of individuals have financially benefited. The £20m we estimate will be paid back in two to four years, and the savings people make are likely to be recycled into the local economy.

“Some people might think it is a little intrusive, but we have been able to point people in the direction of benefits they can claim, towards free help and grants, even referral in some instances to the Government’s Warm Front scheme, which is a completely different package of benefits,” said Emma.

Warm Zone doesn’t really have a downside.

“In addition, we’ve created more than 200 jobs, many of them for people who have recently become unemployed because of the recession.”

The final compliment is that the Scottish Parliament and several London boroughs are talking with Warm Zone and plan to ‘Kirklees’ their own housing stock.