A VISIT to the doctor could see you get help to insulate your home, under plans being considered by councillors.

A new health and housing referral network could be set up in the town as part of efforts to tackle fuel poverty in Swindon.

Currently, it is estimated that nine per cent of all households in the town are “fuel poor” – with low incomes and higher than average energy costs.

Next week, Swindon Borough Council’s governing cabinet will discuss an updated Swindon Affordable Warmth Strategy.

The document sets out plans to reduce fuel poverty in Swindon. The problem is linked to higher winter death rates, mental health problems, heart disease and lung infections. In 2015, the Swindon winter death rate was around 20 per cent higher than the summer rate.

Cherry Jones, the borough’s director of public health, presented the strategy to a meeting of Swindon’s Clinical Commissioning Group’s governing body last week.

She said: “This strategy has a vision that ensures that all households in Swindon live in warm, dry homes free from fear of fuel debt and poor health.”

The council say they plan to establish a “health and housing referral network”, following advice set out by government health experts NICE.

Doctors, nurses and other health professionals would be able to refer vulnerable people to advice service Warm and Safe Wiltshire for help on reducing fuel bills and how to access financial support.

Council officers said that they were hoping to test this referral scheme with staff at the Great Western Hospital.

In the strategy they write: “Action on fuel poverty is likely to lead to reductions in local health spend, GP referrals and hospital admissions due to improved health.”

Other work outlined in the strategy included:

:: Working with Wiltshire Council, the fire service and charity the Centre for Sustainable Energy to win funding from energy companies through the Energy Company Obligation. This will be invested in home insulation measures, like loft insulation.

:: Promoting the council’s energy switching advice service.

:: Encouraging eligible residents to take up the national Warm Home Discount rebate – worth £140 off winter fuel bills.

The new strategy comes after a decade of work to target fuel poverty in Swindon. The borough’s Safe and Warm programme, which ended in 2014, saw £678,000 invested in insulation schemes.

The works helped bring fuel poverty in Swindon down to below the national average. Across England, 11 per cent of households are “fuel poor” – while in the South West the figure stands at 11.4 per cent.

In 2015, the latest year for which data is available, Swindon’s central ward – including areas like Broadgreen – had the highest number of fuel poor households, with 5,574 homes.

In Eastcott, which boasts a high number of Victorian houses and privately rented homes, almost a fifth of households (18 per cent) are deemed to be fuel poor.