The cost of energy bills can be a challenge to manage. The expected rise in gas and electricity costs will be worrying for many. Citizens advice and other charity organisations have lots of tips to help you get the best deal, access grants and other support, and manage a tight budget.

Our website has lots of general information on energy help. Click here to take a look.

Useful tools and resources

Act on Energy has lots of useful links to various grants and support available to help with energy costs. A summary is below. Please click the link to find out more.

• Heat 4 health – if a health condition is exasperated by lack of heating, heat 4 health will help people apply for energy saving for the household. This includes thermostatic valves, cavity wall and loft insulation.
   
• Leap – Give the household a free energy assessment. Our area has just registered interest in the green homes scheme. If the house has a B-G in output, you qualify. This assessment will give more details on what would be helpful. You can then register onto the green homes scheme. They will also give energy saving advice.
   
• Green homes scheme – can register interest on the local authority website. Not available yet via local councils in South Warwickshire.
   
• Eco – Energy Companies Obligation grant. This can cover e.g a new boiler, insulation, and other energy saving adaptations. May not necessarily cover the whole amount. You don’t have to be receiving a supply from the energy company to apply for the grant. You have to choose whichever contractor they choose to do the work. So you will need to check if this is the cheapest offer.
   
• Warm and well in Warwickshire (county council) – energy saving advice, reducing bills, fire safety checks. Referrals to other companies.

Also available:

• Warm homes discount, Grants from fuel suppliers, Winter fuel payment – see our website here.
   
• Energy Saving Trust useful money saving Tips
   
• Simple energy saving tips
   
• Warm hubs and mobile warm hubs – to help communities target self-isolation. Energy advice.

Some of the actions the government is taking to help with the rising fuel costs:

• Freezing fuel duty
• Work allowance – if you claim universal credit and work, you will be able to keep more of your income.
• Household support grants – available from the Warwickshire local welfare scheme. Short term financial support to meet immediate needs.
   

Budgeting and Benefit checks

You may also like to consider going through your budget to see if there is anything you can save money on. Our budgeting tool might be a good start. A benefits check will show you if there are any benefits you may be entitled to in addition to your regular income. There are various websites that offer a free benefits check:

• Turn to us
• Entitled to
• Policy in practice

Reading your energy bill

Money saving expert show you how to read your energy bill on their webpage. This might help you to understand exactly how much fuel you are using, when and how much it is costing.

Call us on 0808 250 5715