Westminster City Council also provide energy grants and a Warm & Healthy Homes advice line.
One of the biggest expenses when running a home are
the fuel bills. There are a number of ways which may be of
help to reduce the cost of your bills. See below for a list of
companies and schemes with set up to help:
Warm Front (England) - www.warmfront.co.uk
Warm Front is the government's main grant-funded programme for
tackling fuel poverty in England and was launched in June 2000.
Households who meet the eligibility criteria are offered a grant of
£2,700 or £4,000 (if oil central heating has been
recommended) to help with their insulation and heating such
as:
- Loft insulation
- Draught proofing
- Cavity-wall insulation
- Fitting central heating
- Fitting gas room heaters with thermostat controls
- Hot water tank insulation
- Energy efficient light bulbs
- Converting a solid fuel open fire to a glass front fire
EDF Energy Trust
The EDF Energy Trust is a registered charity (number 1099446)
funded by EDF Energy. The Trust's aim is to help people take
control of their finances by reducing the burden of their debts and
helping them meet their future bills. We hope that the awarding of
grants and the provision of money advice and energy efficiency
advice will enable people to make a fresh
start. Although EDF Energy provides the finance,
the EDF Energy Trust is completely independent of the
company. The Trust is governed by a board of
independent trustees and the day to day administration undertaken
by Charis, a company with extensive knowledge
and understanding of debt issues.
The EDF Energy Trust offers two types of grants:
- grants to individuals to cover the payment of gas and electricity debts and other essential household bills or costs
- grants to voluntary organisations working in the field of money advice, debt counselling or energy
nPOwer
nPower have a number of helpful options:
Spreading Warmth tariff
This is a new tariff from npower that delivers a total
dual fuel annual discount. You are eligible if you have a gross
annual household income of less than £13,500 and where
someone in the household meets at least one of the eligibility
criteria below:
- aged over 60
- disabled
- suffers from a chronic illness
- a child under 16
Initially the annual discount will be applied as a one off
discount per fuel on the first bill after 1st January 2009. From
the 1st April 2009 onwards, discounts may be applied in
instalments. However if you have a prepayment meter they may choose
to send it to you rather than credit it to your account.
If you are eligible or think you may be eligible you can
call nPower on 0800 975 1373*.
The Warm Response Service
npower's Warm Response Service may be able to offer you some
extra help if you're in poor health, you're over 60 or if you have
a disability, as you may be able to benefit from some of the
services available. These include:
- Large print, Braille or audio bills and other correspondence if you are hard of hearing or have problems with your eyesight.
- A password scheme - if they need to call at your house the caller will use a password of your choice so that you can verify their identity, giving you peace of mind.
- If you, and everyone in your household, is unable to read your meter, they can arrange to have your meter read every quarter.
- If English isn't your first language, they can arrange for an interpreter to help you when you contact them.
- They can arrange to send all correspondence to a third party, such as a relative or carer, if you find it difficult to deal with it yourself.
First step scheme
npower's First Step Scheme offers advice and help if you're
struggling to pay your npower bills. If you can't afford to keep
your home warm, they may be able to offer you a payment plan
that suits your circumstances and you'll get advice on how to save
energy and money around your home.
Scottish Power Home Heat Helpline
The Home Heat Helpline is an independent free telephone
service that offers help and advice to those struggling to pay
their energy bills.
The free service is staffed by experienced advisors who can
provide information about social tariffs, different payment options
available, energy efficiency and heating advice. They can also
provide details of how to become a Priority Service Customer.
The Home Heat Helpline agents can also contact your supplier
on your behalf to resolve any issue you may have.
Southern Electric
Southern Electric offer a special tariff called Energyplus
Care is a special tariff available for customers who are worried
about being cold in winter because of poor housing, health or
income issues. If you are spending 10% or more of your income on
your energy bills you may qualify for extra help. Energyplus Care
offers:
- Up to 20% discount on your current fuel prices, regardless of which payment method you use
- Free energy efficiency advice to help you save even more money on future bills
- Our lowest cost tariff for customers
- Free energy efficiency measures, from low energy light bulbs to a free A-rated fridge or a discounted A-rated fridge/ freezer
- Free benefit entitlement check