Funded Energy Redress Projects

Many families in Cambridgeshire are coping with increased in energy prices as well as an increase in poverty in the area. Cambridgeshire Home Energy Support Services Plus (CHESS+) will expand the work with front-line workers to support households to reduce their energy bills and improve health and well-being. Experienced Energy Advisers will provide energy efficiency advice by phone, undertake home energy visits, and offer funding to help clear fuel debt or buy energy, including oil and LPG gas, where people cannot afford to heat their homes. Where appropriate, advisers will also make referrals to other providers. The project will support families through the long-term impacts of the ongoing cost of living crisis by providing households with the resources they need to stay warm and healthy.

Warrington Disability Partnership provide free, impartial, high-quality energy advice and support services across communities of disabled people, elderly people, people who have long-term health conditions, their carers and families. In addition, they offer energy advice to vulnerable clients who are facing difficulties paying their energy bills. This service meets a gap in services unavailable locally and is in response to the unprecedented increase in the cost of energy and living. In partnership with Warrington Community Energy, Warrington Borough Council’s well-being teams, Citizens Advice Bureau, Food Banks, Housing Associations, Utility Providers, Carers Centre and a range of community groups, the service will be promoted to reach the most vulnerable people living in fuel poverty.

Leicestershire Energy Support (LES) aims to improve wellbeing and confidence for vulnerable energy consumers by providing advice and referrals which will help to mitigate the impact of the increased cost of energy. LES will support at least 825 households in Leicestershire over eighteen months. LES will support energy consumers in vulnerable situations through the provision of free, independent and impartial energy advice via one-to-one appointments in accessible community locations and home visits. Referrals to community insulation, smart meter or heat pump schemes, as well as access to fuel vouchers, support with billing issues and advice on fuel options, available tariffs and grants will be given to consumers.

The project will deliver a comprehensive energy advice service to the population of Knowsley, the second most economically deprived Local Authority area in England. The project will work closely across the local voluntary sector to help identify those who are being impacted the most by fuel poverty and provide an in-depth service designed around people’s needs in all aspects of energy advice, including referrals to complementary services within the voluntary sector, with an emphasis on health and wellbeing, disability and family support services. It will work to provide a borough-wide, single point of contact for energy related support services, utilising existing resources, and delivering measurable impacts on beneficiaries to influence future energy advice programmes.

Scarf will provide a Home Energy Advice Team service in Moray with the aim of supporting one of the regions with the highest level of fuel poverty. The programme will offer Moray households a home energy audit. This audit will advise on property fabric upgrades, soft measures and funding available to improve the properties’ energy efficiency. Once the energy audit is complete and recommendations are made, the in-home advisers will offer free and impartial energy efficiency advice to the household to educate the household on energy usage. The programme will be available to all tenures and where appropriate be delivered both in-home and remotely.

Draught Includers is a project that aims to engage vulnerable people in community activities and help them to get the help they need to keep their properties warm and their bills under control. The initiative will work closely with North Tyneside Voda (CVS) and a network of 30 community based or faith-based organisations who are delivering a warm hubs programme, to provide additional support. A sustainability adviser will visit each of the warm hubs and provide advice and support to people and volunteers and staff will be upskilled to provide support themselves. Support will be provided over the telephone and in person. Free home starter kits and installation will also be offered.

Argyll Energy Advice Service is led by Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Energy Agency (ALIenergy), in collaboration with Home Energy Scotland and a range of local referral organisations working with vulnerable clients, including foodbanks, health and social care providers, and housing associations. Together they will deliver a home energy advice service for the diverse and mainly rural communities of Argyll and Bute, with a particular focus on off-gas households, many of which are very seriously affected by fuel poverty. The service will offer: immediate crisis intervention; a range of energy advice topics to raise awareness and reduce the risk of fuel poverty going forwards; and referrals into a variety of available schemes including Scottish Government funded insulation and heating replacements.

Citizens Advice SORT Group have been successful in getting an in-principle agreement with Google Nest hardware team for a research programme in Greater Manchester. This proposal includes discounting Nest Thermostat E by £100 to £99.99 and product training for Citizens Advice staff and volunteers. Nest estimates the average user will save between 8.4% to 16.5% on their energy bills - given recent increase in the price cap this could be essential savings for consumers in this area. This one year project will provide intensive energy advice via home visits, install smart thermostats, check in on quarterly basis to monitor the cost savings and energy consumption habits focused on 400 people living in fuel poverty.