Support for everyone

Your customers may be asking you for advice on their heating and energy use if they’re struggling to afford their bills. Here’s some of the support that’s available.

The Energy Saving Trust provides online guidance to lower fuel usage, including cost-effective options to insulate and draught-proof the home to avoid wasting heat, as well as switching to more energy efficient appliances, using heating controls, and making sure the heating is being used in the most efficient way. These are all suggestions that you can make to your customers, with more details available at energysavingtrust. org.uk/energy-at-home

The government’s Energy Saving Advice campaign for households offers tips ranging from quick, free actions that can reduce energy usage, as well as home improvements that will help save more energy over the long term. Alongside each of these actions is an estimate of the average savings they could help to generate.

Suggestions include:

• Turning a combi boiler’s flow temperature down to 60°C –average saving £100 per year

• Turning down radiators in rooms that aren’t being used – average saving £70 per year

• Turning appliances off at the socket when not required –average saving £70 per year

• Washing clothes at lower temperatures – average saving £40 per year

• Installing a smart meter – no immediate saving but it could help your customers see and track how much energy is being used, and by what appliances.

More suggestions at: helpforhouseholds.campaign. gov.uk/energy-saving-advice

Get help to pay energy bills

Energy bills have rocketed, leaving many households unable to cover the additional costs and owing money to their energy suppliers.

The Energy Bills Support Scheme gives every household in England, Scotland and Wales with a domestic electricity connection a £400 discount on their electricity bills. This is being paid in six monthly instalments between October 2022 and March 2023. Your customers should already be receiving this discount, with their energy supplier applying the funds to their monthly household electricity bill.

Those using prepayment meters get equivalent vouchers that they redeem at their top-up point. Customers with any questions about the scheme should contact their electricity supplier directly.

Speak to energy suppliers

Anyone who is in debt with their energy bills should always speak to their supplier to discuss their options. Energy arrears are considered a priority debt, which means they should be paid before other debts such as credit cards, but suppliers have an obligation to try and work with their customers to find a mutually agreeable solution.

The supplier can create a payment plan, taking into account how much the customer can afford to pay, and how much energy they’ll use in the future. The payment plan will then cover the estimated current energy use, as well as taking an additional amount to help pay off the existing debt.

Can they use their benefits?

If your customer receives benefits, they may be able to repay their energy bills directly through the Fuel Direct Scheme. This takes a fixed amount from their benefits to cover the debt and estimated future energy bills, until the debt is paid off.

To access the Fuel Direct Scheme, people need to be in receipt of:

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Income support

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Pension credit

• Universal credit (if they are working, they can only access the Fuel Direct Scheme if their earnings are less than their work allowance).

Contact the Jobcentre, or the Pension Service if they receive Pension Credit, to find out more about the Fuel Direct Scheme.

Customers on benefits may also receive an automatic £150 Warm Home Discount, either applied directly to their electricity bill or added to their prepayment meter by their supplier. This is available to people receiving certain benefits.

Those eligible should have received a letter from their supplier in mid-January. If they haven’t and they think they may be eligible, they should call the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 107 8002 before 28 February.

Fuel vouchers

Customers who can’t afford to top up their prepayment meters may be eligible to receive a fuel voucher from their local council, which can be redeemed at the Post Office or any shop signed up to PayPoint or Payzone.

Alternative fuels

If your customer uses heating oil or biomass instead of gas or electricity, the government is providing a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment, which will be applied automatically to their electricity account by the supplier this month (February). If they do not have a contract with an electricity supplier, they can apply for the payment on www.gov.uk from February.

Winter Fuel Payment

Anyone born on or before 25 September 1956 should have automatically received a Winter Fuel Payment of between £250 and £600, depending on their age, in either November or December 2022, though sometimes they may need to apply for the payment.

Find out more at www.gov.uk/ winter-fuel-payment

Grants

Many major energy suppliers offer grants and payments to customers in need and anyone can apply for a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust, even if they are not a British Gas customer.

Find out more about the support available at: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ consumer/energy/energysupply/get-help-paying-yourbills/grants-and-benefits-tohelp-you-pay-your-energy-bills