Salix Homes Newsletter
August 2026
Welcome to the August 2026 edition of our customer newsletter, aiming to keep you updated with the latest news from Salix Homes.
In this edition:
• Back to School – save money with Salford’s free School Uniform Exchange
• Discover what’s happening in your community
• Shaun’s story
• Could you get £150 off your energy bills this winter?
• Reminder: For customers living in our high-rise and low-rise buildings: Think before you smoke or vape
• Reminder: Help us tackle fly-tipping
• Reminder: Got furniture to recycle?
• Reminder: Plug-in solar panels: important safety advice
• Reminder: Summer is here – stay safe and make the most of it
• Bank Holiday opening hours
• RTS meters: check yours today
Back to School – save money with Salford’s Free School Uniform Exchange
Getting ready for the new school year doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Salford City Council’s Free School Uniform Exchange helps local families save money by offering good quality second-hand school uniform and other school essentials at no cost.
Whether you need shirts, jumpers, trousers, skirts, dresses, school shoes or bags, you can pick up items for free throughout the year. You can also donate school uniform your children have outgrown, helping other families while reducing waste.
Donations for all Salford schools are welcome and can be dropped off, or collected, at any Salford Gateway or Swinton Civic Centre.
Find out more about the scheme and how to get involved by clicking the button below.
Discover what’s happening in your community
Looking for something to do? Our events page is regularly updated with activities taking place across Salford, making it easy to find something to suit you.
From community events and family fun to wellbeing sessions, workshops and opportunities to get involved, there’s something for everyone. It’s a great way to meet new people, learn new skills and make the most of what’s happening in your local area.
Whether you’re looking for activities for the children, events for older residents or ways to get involved in your neighbourhood, you’ll find them all in one place.
Take a look at what’s coming up and see what’s happening near you:
Shaun’s story
TBC
Could you get £150 off your energy bills this winter?
If you receive certain means-tested benefits, you could be entitled to the Government’s £150 Warm Home Discount to help with your energy costs this winter.
To make sure you don’t miss out, check that you are named on your electricity bill by Sunday 23 August 2026. This is especially important if you’ve recently moved home, switched energy supplier or the account is in someone else’s name.
If you have a prepayment meter and top up using a key or card, you’ll also need to make sure the energy account is registered in your name.
If you’re eligible, the discount is usually applied automatically to your electricity bill, so it’s worth taking a few minutes to check your details are up to date.
Not sure if you qualify? Contact your energy supplier or visit gov.uk to find out more.
For customers living in our high-rise and low-rise buildings:
Think before you smoke or vape
Smoking and vaping are not allowed in communal areas of your building. This includes corridors, stairwells, entrances, lifts and other shared spaces, which must remain smoke-free by law.
Smoking or vaping in these areas can set off the fire alarm, forcing residents to leave their homes and taking emergency services away from real emergencies. It also increases the risk of fire for everyone living in the building. A false alarm attendance by the fire service can cost more than £500.
If you smoke or vape in communal areas, you could receive a tenancy warning or face legal action.
Please help keep your building safe by only smoking or vaping in permitted outdoor areas.
To report someone smoking or vaping in a communal area, contact our Building Safety Team:
Reminder: Help us tackle fly-tipping
Fly-tipping ruins our neighbourhoods and costs money that could be better spent improving our homes and services.
In 2025, we spent more than £120,000 removing 553 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish from across our communities.
If you see someone fly-tipping, please report it to us. Working together, we can help keep our neighbourhoods clean, safe and welcoming for everyone.
Remember, fly-tipping is a criminal offence and offenders could face fines of up to £50,000.
Report fly-tipping through MySalix or call 0800 218 2000.
Reminder: Got furniture to recycle?
If you have furniture you no longer need, why not donate it through our Furniture Recycling Scheme?
Since we launched the scheme in July 2019, we have delivered more than 3,000 items to people who need them most.
We accept all kinds of furniture and appliances, including sofas, bed frames, wardrobes, tables and chairs, as well as electrical items, home accessories and toys. Some items can’t be donated, including clothes, shoes, car seats, gas cookers and petrol-powered items.
Find out where you can recycle those items.
Find out what you can donate and how to get started
Call 0800 218 2000 or visit our Furniture Recycling page for more information.
Reminder: Plug-in solar panels: important safety advice
Plug-in solar panels are small systems designed to connect directly to a standard household socket. While they may seem like a simple way to save energy, they can pose serious safety risks in flats and high-rise buildings.
Salix Homes does not allow plug-in solar panels in our high-rise homes and we are not endorsing or promoting their use.
These products can increase the risk of fire and electrical faults.
Fire hazards: Faults or incorrect use can cause overheating and fires.
Electrical faults: Most homes’ electrical systems are not compatible with plug-in solar, increasing the risk of circuit overload or malfunction.
They also offer only limited savings on energy bills compared with other energy efficiency measures.
Salix Homes is committed to sustainability and supporting our customers with the cost of living. We are working hard to improve the energy efficiency of all our homes across Salford to help reduce energy costs for our customers and address fuel poverty wherever possible.
If you are struggling with energy costs, our Income Management Team can offer advice, support and signposting to relevant services. Call 0800 218 2000 or email enquiries@salixhomes.co.uk.
Reminder: Summer is here – stay safe and make the most of it
Longer days and warmer weather mean more time to enjoy the outdoors. Whether you’re enjoying a BBQ, relaxing on your balcony, or tending to your garden, follow our simple tips to keep yourself and your home safe.
Tap the button below for our top summer safety tips and make this your safest summer yet:
Bank Holiday opening hours
Reception at Diamond House will close on Friday 28 August at 4:30pm. We will reopen at 8:30am on Tuesday 1 September.
Emergencies only can still be reported on 0800 218 2000
To report a repair or a non-urgent issue, please use your online MySalix account.
Our Customer Service Centre will reopen at 8:00am on Tuesday 1 September.
RTS meters: check yours today
The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) has now been switched off. This means some older electricity meters may no longer switch heating, hot water or electricity between peak and off-peak times as they should.
If your home still has an RTS meter that has not been upgraded, it is important to contact your energy supplier as soon as possible. They can arrange a free smart meter upgrade to help keep your heating and hot water working correctly.
- A separate switch box near your meter with a radio teleswitch label
- Electric storage heaters or immersion heaters in your home
- No gas supply in your area, including many rural homes and high-rise flats
- A tariff such as Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control
Not sure what type of meter you have? Check your meter area for the signs above, then speak to your energy supplier. You can also find more information on the Ofgem website.
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