fuel
and other household bills
Do you have to make the choice between heating and eating? Spiralling gas and electricity prices mean that many people can’t afford to do both properly. Anyone who pays more than 10% of their household income for heating and lighting their home is in what is known as ‘fuel poverty’.
Are you entitled to the winter fuel payment?
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment of up to £400 to help people aged 60 and over with the costs of keeping warm. Have you had yours this year? Claims need to be made before 30th March 2010. The Winter Fuel Payment Helpline is on 08459 1515 15 (0845 601 5613 for text phone users).
Are you paying too much for your gas and electricity?
If you are paying with a pre-payment key or card meter it could be costing you a much higher rate for each unit of gas or electricity.
Talk to your supplier and ask them to change the type of meter you have to give you a better tariff. The Government has recently put pressure on energy suppliers to reduce pre-payment meter tariffs, so it is worth speaking with your supplier to make sure you are getting the lowest rate possible. Even if you have spoken to them in the past it may be worth calling again as things can change.
Most suppliers give discounted fuel tariffs for people in fuel poverty. These are called Social Tariffs and can give a discount of up to 20%. Different companies have different criteria for when you become eligible, so contact your supplier to see if you qualify.
Case Study
A resident of Town & Country Housing has spoken with us about her experience of the problems that tenants face with their energy bills and also about how she now helps out other residents by giving them her time and experience.
“When I first moved into my housing association home it already had a key meter fitted for the electricity and a card meter for the gas. These both had debts on them from the previous tenant.
When I tried to get these debts removed, I was told to pay the outstanding amount and then claim a refund. I did this but it took a long time and a lot of letters and phone calls to get the money repaid.
After I had lived at my home for a few months I calculated that I was paying about £25 per week on gas and £15 a week in electricity. After doing some research, I found that by having a key and card meter I was paying a standard daily charge for the meter and also an increased tariff for each unit of electricity I used. After talking with both suppliers and giving a budget of my finances I was able to get a reduced social tariff which greatly reduced my weekly costs.
I now volunteer for the Housing Association as a Financial Inclusion Champion and attend housing surgeries helping other residents with making claims for benefits and entitlements.”
Top tips to keep your bills down
- Switch lights off when you leave a room
- Replace standard light bulbs with energy-saving ones
- Appliances left on stand-by use up to 85% of energy to keep them powered - turn them off
- Don’t overfill your kettle - boil only what you need
- Choose a 30 degrees programme when using your washing machine
- Have a shower instead of a bath as this uses less water
- Turn down your heating by just 1 degree - this can save up to £60 per year
- Adjust radiator controls to avoid over-heating rooms that don't need it
To find out how you can save on your energy bills go to the Energy Saving Trust website for hints and tips and a questionnaire to help save you money.
For free, independent, energy saving advice call the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012 or visit
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
