HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS WINTER 2013/14 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS Sarah Newton MP 18 Lemon Street Truro Cornwall TR1 2LZ 01872 274 760 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sarahnewton.org.uk Twitter: @SarahNewtonMP Sarah holds regular advice surgeries across the area, giving you the opportunity to raise issues or problems in person. Please contact Sarah’s office to make an appointment. This guide has been funded using voluntary donations, and not at the expense of the taxpayer. This help guide has been prepared with great care. The publisher is not, however, liable for correctness, completeness and upto-dateness of the contents. If you wish to make a correction, update or addition, please contact: [email protected] 2 WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN SAVE MONEY? Worried about how to pay for your energy use? Concerned about rising energy bills? If so then this guide can help. There is lots of help already out there but it can sometimes be hard to find and difficult to know who to turn to. This guide is designed to help you to make your home more energy efficient and make you aware of what support is now available. There is advice on how to get the best deal from your energy supplier and details about schemes such as the Government’s Green Deal which can enable you to install energy saving measures at no upfront cost. Included is also a range of financial assistance to which you may be entitled. The Pensions Service has a helpline (08456 060 265) dedicated to helping elderly people get the financial support that they need and can help you to make an application. At the end is a list of various organisations that can offer advice and support to you and answer any of your questions. Now is the time to start thinking about how you can stay warm and save money this winter. Sarah Newton MP 3 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT and kettles, as well as heating and lighting products will have this logo prominently displayed. Cavity Wall Insulation Check your Boiler Approximately one third of heat lost in an uninsulated home is through the walls. Insulating your walls is a very cost effective way of saving money and energy in your home. If your home was built between the 1920s and the 1990s then insulating your walls could save you £110 on your annual heating bills. Not all homes can be insulated in this way, so if your home is a solid wall construction or was built before the 1920s, you may wish to consider installing internal or external wall insulation which could save you £375 each year. Loft Insulation An uninsulated loft can result in you losing 15% of the heating that you pay for. Insulating your loft with 270mm of insulation could save you up to £145 each year. Some energy companies offer free cavity wall and loft insulation but only some customers may be eligible. Look for the Energy Saving Trust Logo If your boiler is over 15 years old then it could be time to replace it with a new energy efficient one. Replacing an old boiler with an A-rated condensing model with a full set of heating controls could save you a quarter of your annual heating bill immediately, which is £235 on average for a gas heated home. Insulate your Hot Water Tank An insulating jacket for a hot water tank does not cost very much and very soon pays for itself. Fitting a jacket that is 75mm or three inches thick will save about £35 each year. Close your Curtains As the days grow shorter as winter approaches, closing your curtains at dusk helps to stop heat escaping through windows. This is a simple and free way of reducing wasted energy and your energy bills. Energy Efficient Light Bulbs When buying new electrical products, look for the Energy Saving Trust logo which is a quick and simple way of finding the most energy efficient products. Electrical appliances such as televisions, computers 4 Energy saving bulbs last up to 10 times as long as regular bulbs and if you replace all your light bulbs with energy efficient ones, you could save up to £45 each year and £670 over the lifetime of all the bulbs. Generate your own Power YOUR ENERGY SUPPLIER If you have the funds available, you could install your own microgeneration units such as solar photovoltaics (PV) for electricity and ground source heat pumps for heat. Government schemes such as the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) can offer you an income from the electricity that you generate and the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) can help you to cover the upfront cost of installing green heating systems. You could save money by switching to another energy supplier that is best suited to your needs. In order to get advice on which supplier and price plan would be best for you, you can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service which offers free and impartial advice as well as information on how to choose and change energy suppliers. Take a Home Energy Check The Energy Saving Trust has an online home energy check which you can find at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk or by calling 0300 123 1234. You can complete an online questionnaire which will give you specific advice on how you can improve your home’s energy efficiency. The Energy Saving Trust can give you free and impartial advice on how to make your home more energy efficient and tell you about financial grants that may be available. Consumer Futures also has details of price comparison websites. The contact details for Consumer Futures and accredited comparison websites can be found at the end of this guide. Switching Made Easy A range of measures are being taken to make it easier to switch suppliers. The time that it takes to change energy supplier is limited to three weeks so as to speed up the process for consumers and so that they can start to benefit from reduced bills a lot sooner. The Government is simplifying the entire process and making information on tariffs and price plans more accessible and far easier to understand. From 2014 energy suppliers will be obliged to place customers on the cheapest tariff and thus save money on their bills. In addition, if you are disabled, have a long-term illness or are over the pension age, you can ask your energy supplier about registering for the Priority Service 5 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS Register. This would enable you to get help with annual gas safety checks, meter readings, priority treatment in an emergency and most importantly means that you cannot have your utilities disconnected during the winter. Energy companies also offer other forms of assistance to their customers. If you are having trouble paying your bills or are worried about the cost of energy this winter, you should get in touch with your energy supplier as soon as possible to see what is on offer. Examples include: EDF Energy Trust Fund EDF Energy has created the EDF Energy Trust Fund which is designed to award grants to their customers to: ■ ■ ■ Help to clear domestic gas and electricity debts. Clear other priority debts (also known as Further Assistance Payments). Purchase essential household items. For more information and details on how to apply, visit www.edfenergytrust.org.uk The British Gas Energy Trust The British Gas Energy Trust is a registered charity designed to offer assistance to those customers who have difficulty in paying their utility bills. Individuals and families who require help can apply to have their gas and electricity debts cleared, and other priority debts can 6 be paid off in exceptional circumstances. This help would be provided in the form of grants which would not have to be repaid. You can apply by completing an online form at www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk but also by requesting a form through the post by telephoning 01733 421 060. Further Assistance Payments Further Assistance Payments can be made available for household items such as cookers, washing machines or refrigerators when they break down and need to be replaced but there must be an urgent need for such financial assistance. A letter would need to be provided from an appropriate professional indicating that there was an urgent and special need for the item to be replaced. For example, this professional could be a health worker or social worker. These payments can also be made available for such things as replacing or repairing a boiler. Exceptional circumstances would have to be proved and supporting letters from appropriate professionals would also need to confirm the requirement for such a payment. In addition, quotes for the work would have to be provided before any award was made. To obtain an application form, please contact 01733 421 021 or email [email protected]. Alternatively, you can complete the form online at www.charisgrants.com. WHAT HELP IS THERE? or Jobcentre Plus. Cold Weather Payments Winter Fuel Payments This is a payment that is made to help you with the cost of heating during the winter months depending on if you are already in receipt of other benefits. Winter Fuel Payments are yearly one-off payments that also help people to pay for their heating bills during winter. They are paid to men and women who have reached the minimum age at which they can receive their State Pension. The amount that is paid is dependent upon your circumstances when you apply, but it could be between £100 and £300. You may be entitled to Cold Weather Payments if you receive: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Pension Credit. Income Support. Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Universal Credit. You do not need to apply for Cold Weather Payments as they will be automatically paid into the same bank account as your other benefit payments. A payment of £25 is made for each seven day period of cold weather between the 1st November and the 31st March. Payments will be made when the local temperature is either: ■ ■ Recorded as an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days. Forecast to be an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days. How to claim Once you have reached the qualifying age (if you were born on or before the 5th July 1952) or if you are receiving certain benefits, you should automatically be sent a claim form in the post. If you do not receive the claim form, you can request a copy of the form to be sent to you in the post by calling 0845 915 1515 or you can download the form by visiting www.gov.uk and searching for ‘Winter Fuel Payment’. The form then needs to be returned to the following address: Winter Fuel Payment Centre Department for Work and Pensions PO Box 22 Gateshead NE92 1BX If you do not receive a Cold Weather Payment when you are entitled, you should contact either your pension centre 7 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS Do I need to claim? ■ You need to claim Winter Fuel Payment if you have not had it before and either of the following apply: ■ ■ ■ You do not get benefits or the State Pension. You only get Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, or Child Benefit. Warm Home Discount Scheme The Warm Home Discount is a four year scheme which will run from April 2011 to March 2015 and is designed to help lowincome and vulnerable households with their energy bills. The Government informs energy suppliers of households which are eligible for the Warm Home Discount and the energy company then gives those households a rebate on their electricity bills. Older people will be considered as part of a ‘core group’ and will be guaranteed the rebate, which for this winter amounts to £135, provided that on 20th July 2013 they were either: ■ ■ 75 or over and getting the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit). Under 75 and only getting the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (you will not qualify if you also get Savings Credit). And all of the following apply: 8 Their electricity supplier is participating in the scheme. Their or their partner’s name is on their electricity bill. If you do qualify for the ‘core group’, a confirmation letter will be sent to you in the autumn from the Government and you will receive your rebate automatically. There may be instances, however, when a rebate cannot be made automatically but if this is the case, you will receive a letter asking for you to supply further information. It is not just the elderly who can qualify but other vulnerable households too. Those on low-incomes or those with longterm illnesses or disabilities may also be eligible. Electricity suppliers that are participating in the scheme have been requested to set aside a certain amount which will be used to support these households which is known as the ‘broader group’. The Warm Home Discount is expected to help approximately two million households by 2014 and will be worth up to £1.1 billion compared to the previous ‘social tariff’ scheme which was worth only £375 million. Some energy companies that are participating will be able to offer more help than others. EDF Energy, for instance, estimates that between 40,000-45,000 customers will benefit from the Warm Home Discount scheme. As this scheme is already up and running and as there is limited discretionary funding for the ‘broader group’, it is absolutely vital to apply to your energy supplier as soon as possible. They will also be able to tell you whether you are eligible to receive support. The energy companies that are participating in the Warm Homes Discount scheme are as follows: Atlantic Energy and Gas British Gas EDF Energy E.ON Equipower Equigas First Utility Manweb M&S Energy Npower Sainsbury’s Energy Scottish Gas Scottish Hydro ScottishPower Southern Electric SSE Swalec Utility Warehouse Surviving Winter Fund Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) is an independent registered charity that awards grants to various organisations across Cornwall that have a positive impact on their local area. In particular, these organisations must tackle issues of poverty, exclusion and disadvantage for people of all ages. CCF has set up a ‘Surviving Winter Fund’. This is where you can choose to donate your Winter Fuel Payment to the Foundation if you feel that you do not need the payment yourself. The money will then be collected into a fund and distributed by CCF to organisations across Cornwall that will help people to stay warm this winter. If you would like to donate your Winter Fuel Payment to the Cornwall Community Foundation, you can do so online: www.justgiving.com/ccf/donate Alternatively, you can send a cheque made payable to ‘Cornwall Community Foundation’ with a covering note specifying that the cheque should be used for the ‘Surviving Winter Fund’. The contact details for the CCF are in the ‘Useful Contacts’ section at the end of this document. CCF is working with the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) in order to distribute this fund to those in urgent need. In order to apply for help you must be aged over 60 and live in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly, and you must be in immediate and 9 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS serious financial need. You could receive between £10 and £50 in order to help pay off a fuel bill or put to money onto your electricity card. The money would only be given to you if it was for an emergency crisis situation, if you ran out of money on your electricity card for instance. You would need to meet with a CAB adviser in order to apply to the fund and you should contact them beforehand to find out what you would need to bring with you. The contact details for the CAB can be found in the ‘Useful Contacts’ section at the end of this booklet. ■ ■ ■ ■ Discounted Insulation and Community Energy Plus Cornwall Council funds an insulation scheme which is managed by the local energy charity, Community Energy Plus. The scheme offers homeowners and private tenants discounts for installing cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. Each type of insulation is offered at £99. The applications for the insulation scheme can be made through their website at: www.cep.org.uk or you can telephone 0800 954 1956. Community Energy Plus also manages the Cornwall hub of the South West Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre where their local advisers provide free and impartial advice on a range of subjects including: Community Energy Plus also offers free insulation to priority customers who qualify. In order to qualify, your household must include at least one person aged over 70 or is in receipt of one of the following qualifying benefits: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 10 Child Tax Credit and has a relevant income of £15,860 or less. Income-related Employment & Support Allowance, and – receiving a work-related activity or support component; or has parental responsibility for a qualifying child; or in receipt of a qualifying component. Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, and has parental responsibility for a qualifying child; or in receipt of a qualifying component. Income Support, and has parental responsibility for a qualifying child; or in receipt of a qualifying component. Pension Credit Working Tax Credit and has a relevant income of £15,860 or less, and has parental responsibility for a qualifying child; or in receipt of a Disabled Worker Element or Severe Disability Element; or is aged 60 years or over. ■ Saving energy in the home. Insulation. Heating systems. Renewable technologies. Feed-in-Tariffs and ‘Rent a Roof’ schemes. Grants for heating, insulation and renewable energy generation. Saving water. There is team of advisers that are available can help you with applications for insulation grants, Renewable Heat Premium Payments, as well as being able to advise you on gas connections, fuel switching and fuel debt grants. If you, or someone that you know, would benefit from the help that the Warm Me Up! Project offers, then do get in touch with Community Energy Plus either by telephoning 0800 954 1956 or through their website www.cep.org.uk Warm Me Up! Project Cornwall Together & Collective Switching The Warm Me Up! Project seeks to improve the quality of life for particularly vulnerable people by improving their access to services which can help to reduce fuel poverty. Cornwall Together is a group whereby Cornish people join together to save money on their energy bills. Operated by Community Energy Plus and funded by a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, the Warm Me Up! Project will assign you a dedicated caseworker will be able to advise you on a wide range of ways in which you can reduce your energy bills. This advice will be tailored to needs of each individual household and will typically include: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ How to read meters and manage energy bills. Tackling damp, mould and condensation. Technology solutions suitable for the customer’s home. Help accessing grants and/or finance. Tariff options and help with fuel switching. This advice can be delivered through home visits, advice surgeries, freephone, post, text and e-mail. The scheme works by you registering with Cornwall Together and giving them a few details about the amount of energy that your household uses. Once they have enough registered users, they will then use this information to collectively negotiate for a special deal with energy suppliers (though this process will be slightly different for heating oil customers). Cornwall Together will then come back to you with two different options for a better energy deal – one is likely to be a cheaper deal and the other is likely to be energy coming from a far more sustainable source. You are under no obligation to switch at that point but you could be offered a better deal. The scheme is entirely free for consumers and for a limited time, all those who register will receive free loft or cavity wall insulation (though as this is limited it will be on a strictly first come first served basis). 11 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS To join the scheme, you can register online at: www.cornwalltogether.com. Off-Grid Domestic Heating Oil In 2010, Cornwall saw rocketing prices for domestic heating oil during the particularly harsh winter. In response the Cornish charity and social enterprise, Community Energy Plus, established the ‘Community Energy Oil Buying Club’. The Club brings people together to form community groups which enable them to buy domestic heating oil in bulk and they can therefore enjoy economies of scale which leads to cheaper prices as well as fewer but more regular deliveries. This is a much better way of purchasing your heating oil than if you choose to do so as an individual. The membership of the Club is free and the costs of administering it will be taken from the oil suppliers themselves at a rate of 1p per litre purchased. Even with this charge being levied, Community Energy Plus believes that members could still save up to £85 per year. In order to join the Oil Buying Club, simply visit www.communityenergyclub.org.uk/ signup and fill in a short form. Off-Grid Discounts Households that use off-grid energy cannot take advantage of certain deals such as ‘dual fuel’ discounts. This is 12 where your electricity supplier is the same company as your mains gas supplier and offers you a reduced rate. Clearly this is not an option to those who cannot receive gas from the grid. In an effort to redress this unfairness, EDF Energy and E.ON offer a discount to those customers who use off-grid energy to heat their homes known as the “No Mains Gas Discount”. At the moment, however, these are the only two ‘Big Six’ companies to offer such a deal, so if you have electricity supplied by either EDF Energy or E.ON, you should contact these companies to take advantage of the “No Mains Gas Discount”. You should also be sure to apply for the Warm Home Discount. As this is through your electricity supplier, you may still be eligible for the discount. Details of the Warm Home Discount are included in this help sheet. The Delivery Price It has been reported that customers buying domestic heating oil are sometimes quoted one price but are then charged a much higher price when the oil is delivered. In some instances the price increase is nearly double that originally quoted. Carmarthenshire County Council successfully prosecuted a supplier for this practice and if you are affected by a similar occurrence, you should contact Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards Service as soon as possible. The contact details for the Trading Standards Service are at the end of this document. Renewable Energy Renewable energy technologies take natural resources and use them to provide free electricity and heating rather than relying on fossil fuels. This can help to drive down the cost of energy as well as reducing carbon emissions. There are a variety of renewable energy technologies which are available for homeowners to install which include: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Solar Photovoltaics (PV) Solar Thermal Water Heating Heat Pumps Wood Fuels Wind Energy There are also a range of incentives that have been provided by the Government to help fund these installations which are detailed below. The Renewable Heat Premium Payment The Renewable Heat Premium Payment is a Government scheme that is designed to help you to afford the renewable technology that you may need for your home. These may include: ■ ■ ■ Solar thermal panels Heat pumps Biomass boilers Who can apply? How you currently heat your home will 13 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS determine which technologies you can apply to be funded: ■ ■ If you have recently removed a mains gas heating system or currently heat your home with mains gas, you are only eligible to apply for solar thermal. If you currently rely on oil, liquid gas, solid fuel or electricity then you could also apply for air-to-water heat pumps, ground-source or watersource heat pumps and biomass boilers. You must own the property in which you wish to install the renewable technology or, if you rent your home, you must have permission from the landlord and be purchasing the installation for yourself. The property must have loft insulation to 250mm and also cavity wall insulation (if this is possible in your property). Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs) Should you decide to install microgeneration technology in your property, you could apply for the Feed-inTariff scheme. The scheme is designed to give you a minimum payment for the electricity that is generated by the system and additional payments for any surplus electricity that is then transferred to the national grid. These payments are in addition to the savings that you would make on your energy bills. The FIT scheme covers electricity that is generated by the following means: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ All the necessary planning and environmental permissions must already be in place and the product and installer you choose must be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or Solar Keymark. How do I apply? You can apply for the Renewable Heat Premium Payment online through the Energy Saving Trust’s website at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scheme/ view/rhpp. Alternatively, you can telephone on 0300 123 1234. 14 Solar electricity (PV) Wind turbine Hydroelectricity Anaerobic digestion (microorganisms break down biodegradable material to release energy) Micro combined heat and power (otherwise know as Micro-CHP, although this is limited to a pilot at this stage) The tariffs vary depending upon when the technology was installed and whether the company installing the technology was certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). Registering for FITs The easiest way to apply for the FIT scheme is to first contact your installer. They will then register you on the MCS database and send you a certificate which will show your MCS compliance. Then you should inform your chosen FIT supplier that you wish to register for the FIT scheme. You will also have to send them a completed application form as well as the MCS certificate and the Energy Performance Certificate that proves your home has an energy efficiency rating of band D or better. The Green Deal The Green Deal came into effect from October 2012. The Green Deal is a new initiative which will allow individuals and businesses to install energy saving measures at no upfront cost and will really help to improve the energy efficiency of properties, particularly for those in rural areas such as Cornwall. Millions of homes and businesses could benefit from improvements under the Green Deal. Both owner-occupiers and tenants will be able to see the rewards of a more energy efficient property. More help will also be given to those who are most in need such as those on low incomes, vulnerable households and those in ‘hard to heat’ homes. installed by an accredited provider at no upfront cost. This will make expensive home improvements affordable. For you as the consumer, the first step will be to get an independent and impartial on -site assessment of your home. The advisor will be able to identify where your home is wasting energy and tell you what steps you could take to reduce this waste. They should also be able to tell you how much you can expect to save by installing each of these measures. The next step will be to choose which improvements you would like to be made. There is a list of ‘Green Deal Approved’ companies who have been accredited and you can work with them to agree the price for the work but crucially, you do not have to pay them for the work straight away. How will it be paid for? How will it work? You can choose whether you would like to pay for the work or whether you would prefer to pay for it through your energy bill. If you choose to pay through your energy bill then the payments will be agreed right at the start and if you choose to move house then the payments stay with that property and do not come with you. Improvements to your property such as loft and cavity wall insulation, underfloor heating, heat pumps, draught proofing, double glazing and boilers, could be The cost of installing these measures will be paid over time through a charge on the property’s energy bill. The repayments must, however, obey the “Golden Rule” 15 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS whereby the charge itself can never be more than the expected savings. This means that you should save from day one of the new measures being installed. For Green Deal improvements, you can expect the savings on your bills to pay for all the work done and in addition, by taking steps to reduce your energy consumption you will be better protected from any rises in energy prices. Who will do the work? Many organisations will bring the Green Deal to your attention such as Cornwall Council, your landlord, local community groups, local builders or by your energy company themselves. If you would like to take advantage of the Green Deal scheme, you should contact one of these groups and they will be able to advise you further and put you in touch with an accredited installer. It is only those installers who have been accredited and will carry a “quality mark” that will be able to carry out work under the Green Deal. Consumer protection will be at the heart of the Green Deal and these will include measures such as: ■ ■ ■ ■ 16 New accreditation and standards arrangements for those authorised under the Green Deal. Stronger cold calling protections. A robust standard of warranties. The cross-selling of products only when customers have agreed this in advance. ■ Regulations so that assessors must make their role clear and disclose when they move from making an impartial assessment to the stage of making a sale. Part of the Green Deal will be the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) which will require energy companies to provide more funding for energy efficiency measures to be installed in homes across the country. This will be targeted at particularly vulnerable and low income households and those homes that are difficult to heat. Money will be specifically set aside to provide support with an estimated 2.8 million hard-to-treat cavity wall properties being eligible under ECO. Glow Cornwall Glow Cornwall is a new scheme that is targeted at helping households throughout Cornwall save energy and save money between 2013 and 2018. A range of measures can be installed in people’s homes including insulation, boiler replacement, micro generation and many others (depending on the requirements of the home). The scheme is divided between the Energy Company Obligation and the Green Deal and up to £100m has been allocated for Cornwall to support the work of Glow Cornwall. Supported by Cornwall Council’s Green Cornwall team, Glow Cornwall is being delivered by British Gas using local companies, and takes advantage of the latest Government initiatives designed to help people to save on their energy bills. Over the next five years, tens of thousands of Cornish homes will be helped by having energy efficiency measures installed. Free Boilers and Insulation If you are receiving benefits or State Pension Credit, you could be eligible for free loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, boiler repairs or even a new boiler through Glow Cornwall. ■ ■ ■ Working Tax Credit (and your income is £15,860 or less). Income Support. Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance. How do I apply? To receive a new energy efficient gas boiler or a boiler repair, your current boiler must be broken or deemed inefficient. To apply for assistance, you can contact Glow Cornwall by telephoning 0800 316 4425 or by e-mailing [email protected] As part of a new government initiative, Glow Cornwall can install free boilers and insulation in the homes of people who are eligible and currently claiming benefits. Who can apply? To be eligible, you must be a private home owner or tenant and one person in your home must be in receipt of qualifying benefits, which are: Household member in receipt of: ■ ■ ■ Child tax credit and has income below £15,860 or; State pension Credit or; Income Related Employment and Support Allowance (plus the support or work related element). You may also qualify, however, if you receive: 17 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) www.adviceguide.org.uk for online information. USEFUL CONTACTS Age UK An independent charity, Age UK provides information and advice for elderly people about a wide range of issues and can refer you to other organisations which can provide more practical help. Age UK Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly Boscawen House Chapel Hill Truro Cornwall TR1 3BN 01872 266 388 www.ageconcerncornwall.org.uk 18 CAB Cornwall (Truro) The Library Union Place Truro Cornwall TR1 1EP Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am - 3pm by appointment only. Tuesday and Thursday - specialist appointments only. CAB Cornwall (Falmouth) Mulberry Passage Market Strand Falmouth Cornwall TR11 3DB Monday 10am - 12:30pm. Tuesday and Friday 10am - 3pm. For specific advice tailored to your needs, you should contact your local Citizens Advice centre. Community Energy Plus Cornwall Community Foundation Community Energy Plus provides advice and support for renewable energy projects. The organisation also works with Cornwall Council to give people access to free or discounted insulation as well as helping community groups with planning applications or finding access to grants for renewable energy or increasing energy efficiency. An independent charity which awards grants to various organisations across Cornwall that have a positive impact on their local area. 0800 954 1956 www.cep.org.uk Cornwall Community Foundation Suite 1 Sheers Barton Lawhitton Launceston Cornwall PL15 9NJ www.cornwallfoundation.com 01566 779 333 / 779 865 [email protected] Consumer Futures A statutory organisation representing consumers. Consumer Futures can help you by providing advice and information regarding the energy market. They cannot, however, discuss individual complaints with members of the public.. www.consumerfutures.org.uk Cornwall Council Trading Standards Service Trading Standards is responsible for the enforcement of a wide range of trade legislation including advertising, marketing and the distribution and supply of goods and services. 0300 1234 191 [email protected] www.cornwall.gov.uk 19 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS Cornwall Together Energy Saving Trust Cornwall Together is an new collective bargaining scheme designed to help people reduce the cost of their energy bills. A national, non-profit, organisation providing free and impartial information and advice on how to improve energy efficiency in your home. Linked to a network of local advice centres. It is free to use and customers will be offered cheaper deals on their energy use. www.cornwalltogether.com 0300 123 1234 [email protected] www.energysavingtrust.org.uk DWP General Benefits Line The DWP Benefits Line is a free helpline which can advise you on any benefits to which you may be entitled. They can also send you the necessary forms and help you complete them so you can make a claim. 0800 055 6688 Gas Safe Register Energy Ombudsman Gas Safe Register is the official body for gas safety. They can provide you with advice on gas appliances as well as having a clear register of all reputable companies involved in the field of supplying gas. Contact the Energy Ombudsman if you have a problem or complaint that cannot be resolved by your energy supplier. In the first instance, you should always contact your energy supplier. Only when they have exhausted their complaints procedures should you contact the Ombudsman. 0330 440 1624 or 01925 530 263 www.ombudsman-services.org/ energy.html 20 0800 408 5500 www.gassaferegister.co.uk Home Heat Helpline Pensions Advisory Service A free helpline which can provide practical advice for people worried about their fuel bills. This line can also give advice to low-income households in urgent need of help and advice. An advice helpline that can provide elderly people with advice on benefits to which they may be entitled. Open from 9am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-2pm on Saturdays. 0845 601 2923 www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk 0800 336 699 www.homeheathelpline.org.uk Winter Fuel Payment Jobcentre Plus Benefits Jobcentre Plus can provide you with a wide range of information and services on issues such as which benefits, loans or grants that you may be entitled to. A form of financial help from the Government for elderly people. For information and application forms to claim the payment, please contact: 08459 151 515 www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment 0800 055 6688 www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus Ofgem Ofgem is the government regulator for the gas and electricity markets. Its purpose is to protect consumers and does offer consumer advice on its website. www.ofgem.gov.uk 21 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS PRICE COMPARISON SITES ACCREDITED BY CONSUMER FUTURES Moneysupermarket.com www.moneysupermarket.com/gas-andelectricity switchgasandelectric.com www.switchgasandelectric.com 0845 345 1296 TheEnergyShop.com www.theenergyshop.com 0845 330 7247 Energy Helpline www.energyhelpline.com 0800 074 0745 UK Power www.ukpower.co.uk 0800 093 2447 Uswitch www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity 0800 404 7908 myutiltygenius.co.uk myutiltygenius.co.uk www.energylinx.co.uk www.energylinx.co.uk 22 Which? Switch www.which.co.uk/switch 01992 822867 SimplySwitch www.simplyswitch.com 08000 111 395 Unravelit www.unravelit.com/utilities.php 0800 862 0021 GREEN DEAL PROVIDERS CONTACT MEMBERS (FROM OCTOBER 2013) 1North Ltd www.1north.co.uk 0800 043 0365 Solar Air (UK) Limited www.solarairuk.com 01227 265 871 Keepmoat Limited www.keepmoat.com 01302 346 620 letsgogreendeal.com www.letsgogreendeal.com 0800 025 7223 Your Green Deal Provider Limited www.yourgdp.com 01482 881 241 Energy Performance Direct Ltd www.energyperformancedirect.co.uk 01392 435 052 PGL Training www.pgltraining.com 01392 437 373 Green Deal Atlantic Ltd www.greendealatlantic.com 0163 787 3041 Ellipse Energy Limited www.ellipseenergy.co.uk 01509 410 377 SIG Energy Management Ltd www.sigenergy.co.uk 0800 564 456 Capita Business Systems www.capita.co.uk Energy Basics Limited Home Survey Reports Ltd. www.energybasics.co.uk 03302 230 020 www.homesurveyreports.co.uk 0161 764 8780 23 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS Marshall and McCourt Plumbing and Heating Contractors Limited www.marshallandmccourt.co.uk 01642 913 200 Anesco Limited www.anesco.co.uk 01189 702 595 Darren Evans Assessments Limited www.darren-evans.co.uk 01454 317 940 EAS - Energy Assessors Services Limited www.e-a-s.co.uk 0800 756 6831 Idea Energy Surveys Ltd www.ideaenergysurveys.co.uk 01325 352 221 Infinity Energy Organisation Limited www.infinityenergyorganisation.com 02036 384 030 First Property Services UK Ltd www.firstpropertyservices.co.uk 01782 610 546 Plymouth Drake Consultancy Limited www.plymouthdrakeconsultancy.com 0800 292 2321 Go-Green Energy (Group) Ltd Halogen Fairies Ltd www.halogenfairies.co.uk 0151 448 7353 www.go-greenenergy.co.uk 0800 043 0191 Inteb Sustainability Limited Ampere GDP Ltd www.Ampere-GDP.com 01271 323 052 www.inteb.co.uk 01995 642 271 EvoEnergy Ltd www.evoenergy.co.uk 0844 815 0200 24 Volta Solar Ltd British Gas Trading Limited www.voltagreendeal.co.uk 01614 255 144 www.britishgas.co.uk/greendeal 0800 107 2750 Low Carbon Exchange Ltd Energy Trust www.lowcarbonexchange.com 01173 591 410 www.energy-trust.co.uk 0845 680 6780 Climate Energy Limited Ethika www.climateenergy.org.uk 0800 0352 327 www.ethika.org.uk 0117 975 8634 Network Green Deal Limited Michael Dyson Associates Limited www.greendealnet.co.uk 01572 725 530 www.mdyson.co.uk 01484 666 888 Green Deal Union Ltd 1 Green Place www.greendealunion.com 0800 046 9190 www.thegreendeal.co.uk 0845 626 2255 The Green Deal Wales.com Intellygen Energy Audits www.thegreendealwales.com 0800 810 1060 www.intellygen.com 0121 288 1494 We Greenerise Ltd Tameside Energy Services Ltd www.we-greenerise.com 0800 779 7002 www.tamesideenergyservices.co.uk 0800 093 0998 25 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS Green Deal Assessors Ltd Quodox Energy Ltd www.greendealassessors.biz 0800 599 9110 www.quodox.co.uk 0208 908 5141 Green Deal Savings Ltd Eco Deal Ltd www.greendealsavingsltd.co.uk 0845 835 0606 www.eco-deal.co.uk 01706 625 375 AAA Green Deal Assessors Ltd Green4Homes Ltd www.aaagreendealassessors.co.uk 01639 897 401 www.greendeal4homes.com 0208 835 7076 digitalenergy Ltd Solarwise Renewables Limited www.digitalenergy.org.uk 0845 003 9087 01443 492 532 InstaGroup Limited Northgate Information Solutions www.northgate-energy.com 0845 217 9778 www.instagroup.co.uk/greendeal 0800 051 7420 Eco Advisory Ltd Enhance Energy Solutions Ltd www.enhanceenergy.co.uk 01792 650 001 www.ecoadvisory.co.uk 01482 772 518 Toriga Energy Limited Vibrant Energy Matters Ltd www.vibrantenergymatters.co.uk 0845 0945 192 26 www.toriga-energy.com 08456 806 556 Eulinx Energy Services BeExpress Energy Advisors 01538 788 083 www.beexpress.co.uk/greendeal 0208 454 7375 CV Energy Ltd. www.cvenergy.co.uk 01926 857 894 Green Deal Advisor Association www.GDAA.org.uk 01572 725 533 GHE Solar Limited www.ghesolar.co.uk 01635 202 612 CarbonLow Real Estate Limited www.carbonlowgreendeal.co.uk 08456 346 071 / 01246 452 982 Osborne Energy Limited www.osborneenergy.co.uk 01424 436 793 Eco Technical Services (UK) Ltd www.ecotechnicals.co.uk 0844 504 0250 27 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS Sarah introducing Minister Chris Grayling MP to partners tackling fuel poverty in Cornwall at the Citizens Advice Bureau. Sarah Newton MP Member of Parliament for Truro & Falmouth 18 Lemon Street Truro Cornwall TR1 2LZ 01872 274 760 [email protected] www.sarahnewton.org.uk @SarahNewtonMP 28
© Copyright 2024