Fuel Poverty Awareness Day

If you are struggling to stay warm this winter or need help to pay your heating bills, there is help available where you live.

In Wales, please call the Nest scheme on 0808 808 2244 or visit the Welsh Government’s Nest website.

If you live in Scotland, please get in touch with Home Energy Scotland online or by calling 0808 808 2282. Their advisors can refer you to a range of funding and support to help with heating your home.

In England, visit the UK Government website to find out if you’re eligible for financial support, including the Warm Homes Discount, Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.

We also have advice pages on improving your heating at home, reducing heat loss through insulation and the financial support available to make your home more energy efficient.

Every winter, millions around the UK struggle to stay warm at home, often having to choose between buying food, paying rent, or turning the heating on. This year, those living in fuel poverty now have to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, which is exacerbating the problems that many people face each winter.

With libraries, cafes and the homes of relatives forced to remain closed during lockdown, people are forced to spend more time in homes that they cannot afford to heat. 10,000 people die on average in the UK each year because of health conditions caused or made worse by living in a cold home. The figure this year is likely to be higher.

Cold homes are preventable, with policy interventions to make fuel poor homes easier and more affordable to heat on the horizon. But for those struggling now, there is help at hand from organisations and charities around the UK to ensure everyone can stay warm at home this winter.

Fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) is launching its Warm and Safe Homes Campaign this Fuel Poverty Awareness Day (Friday 27 November), urging three actions that will make a difference to people in fuel poverty this winter.

1. Ensuring enough money for essentials

The current universal credit uplift, which is offering a lifeline to millions by providing extra money for living essentials, must be maintained and strengthened.

2. Bringing forward Breathing Space and new actions to clear debt

Halting enforcement action, providing flexibility on repayment plans and introducing new ways to help people with utility debts will help reduce the additional stress caused by falling into household debt and have a positive economic impact.

3. A proactive, coordinated and targeted response from frontline agencies

Those most in need are not necessarily aware of or able to access the support that is available, particularly if they are digitally excluded, English is not their preferred language, or they have other communication needs. National and local government, energy suppliers, network operators, health agencies and other frontline organisations need to proactively identify and assist these customers and clients.

Energy Saving Trust empowers millions of householders every year to make better energy choices and deliver transformative energy programmes working with governments. We support the delivery of several programmes across the UK that focus on tackling fuel poverty.

In Wales, the Welsh Government Nest scheme is available to people on low incomes living in Welsh homes. In 2019-20, Welsh Government provided funding to the tune of £20.6 million to deliver the Nest scheme, to help improve home energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty.

The Warm Homes Nest scheme helps households in fuel poverty by reducing household energy bills through providing free energy efficiency home improvements. The scheme added health criteria in 2017 to reach households living with a health condition made worse by cold or damp housing and living in or at risk of fuel poverty.

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In Scotland, we are part of the Warmworks joint venture, which manages the Scottish Government’s fuel poverty scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland. Warmworks receives referrals to the scheme from Home Energy Scotland. Since 2015, the partnership has helped more than 20,000 homes across Scotland to become warner, healthier and more energy efficient.

Warmer Homes Scotland provides insulation, efficient heating and renewable technologies to households who are struggling with the cost of high energy bills, making homes warmer, more comfortable and affordable to heat.

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In England, Scotland and Wales, we distribute payments from energy companies who may have breached the rules through the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme, on behalf of regulator Ofgem.

Registered charities can apply for funds to deliver energy related projects that meet the scheme priorities, including supporting energy consumers in vulnerable situations, and benefit people living in Great Britain. The funds can pay for anything from making a home more energy efficient, to providing advice that helps consumers keep on top of their bills.

As of November 2020, the scheme has reached over 43,000 people with advice and support and has helped save householders £1.4 million on their fuel bills.

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