Energy costs can really add up. This can be especially true if you are at home a lot of the time or need to keep particularly warm, whether due to a medical condition or age. It is therefore common for carers to worry about how they or the person they care for will afford their gas and electricity bills.
There are some simple changes you can make to keep your bills as low as possible, as well as lots of different forms of financial support available. We give some more information below.
There are lots of simple steps you can take to cut down on your energy usage and reduce your bills. You might be amazed how much money you can save through some easy changes. For instance, you could save:
- £55 a year by replacing your lightbulbs with LED bulbs.
- £45 a year by fitting a water-efficient showerhead.
- £55 a year by turning your appliances off at the plug instead of leaving them on standby.
- £45 a year by draught-proofing your windows and doors and blocking any cracks in your floors and skirting boards.
- £20 a year by turning off the lights when you’re not using them.
- £65 a year by installing a chimney draught excluder.
- £28 a year by reducing your use by one run a week and using a lower temperature.
- £70 a year by a household keeping shower times to 4 minutes.
- £11 a year by only filling the kettle with the amount of water you need. [1]
There are also schemes available for more significant adaptations to your home to make it more energy efficient, such as installing insulation or changing your boiler. Some of these schemes are provided by the government, and others by energy suppliers or local councils. A number are open to anyone, and others are just for people with low incomes or who receive certain benefits. Take a look at the Turn2us website for further information.
The current guidance is to stay with your current provider. It is worth asking whether your provider have any reduced-rate social tariffs for people in your circumstances. Some suppliers even provide their most vulnerable customers with other support to help cut their bills such as insulation or draught-proofing.
It is good to keep your eye on any changes in advice about switching providers. Ofgem provides a list of accredited price comparison websites, all of which comply with the Confidence Code. These will allow you to compare how much you pay against other providers.
LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership) is a free energy and money-saving service for people who are in or at risk of falling into fuel poverty. They can come to your home and fit free LED light bulbs and draught-proofing measures to help cut your energy usage. They can also check that you are on the most cost-effective tariff for you and tell you more about other funding you might be able to access for further energy-saving home improvements. If you would benefit from a free money advice consultation they can also arrange this too.
You are eligible for help from LEAP if you are in receipt of certain benefits, on a low income, have one of a defined list of medical conditions or a physical or sensory disability. It is open to all types of householders, whether you own your own home, are a private renter or a social housing tenant.
Take a look at the LEAP website for full details of their eligibility criteria and how to access their support.
Many energy suppliers have their own charitable trusts and funds which you can apply to for support if you are struggling to pay your electricity or gas bills. Each of them has their own eligibility criteria, so it worth looking into your particular supplier’s hardship fund to see whether you are able to apply.
The British Gas Energy Trust also offers grants to anyone who is in fuel debt, whether you are a British Gas customer or not. You can find out more on their website.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme has closed. It will reopen in October 2024.
Find out what to do if you did not get your discount for winter 2023 to 2024.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill.
If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. The money is not paid to you.
If your current energy provider doesn’t take part in this scheme and you think you would be eligible, it may be worth switching provider to one that does participate. The GOV.UK website lists the companies taking part.
If you were born before 23 September 1958 you could get either £200 or £300 to help you pay your heating bills for winter 2024 to 2025. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.
You may be eligible if you or your partner get certain benefits. If you are eligible, you’ll normally get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically.
You will not get the extra Pensioner Cost of Living Payment given in 2022 and 2023. It stopped in winter 2023.
If you’re eligible, you’ll get a letter in October or November saying how much you’ll get.
If you do not get a letter but you think you’re eligible, check if you need to make a claim.
Most eligible people are paid in November or December. Find out what to do if you are not paid.
To find out how much exactly you are entitled to, take a look at the GOV.UK website.
If you receive the State Pension or another social security benefit like Pension Credit, you will receive the Winter Fuel Payment automatically. If you do not receive one of these and you have never claimed before, then you will need to make a claim. To do this, call the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0160. They will ask you for more information including your bank details and your National Insurance number. You can also claim by post if you prefer, using the form on the GOV.UK website. You will only need to claim once, after which the payment should be made to you automatically every year. If your circumstances change, you should let them know as soon as possible as you may have to repay any overpayments made.
You will not be eligible if you:
- live in Scotland
- have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole of the week of 16 to 22 September 2024
If you live in a care home, you can get a Winter Fuel Payment if:
- you get certain benefits and are eligible
- you lived in a care home for less than 13 weeks including the week of 16 to 22 September 2024
If you are on an income-related benefit, you are entitled to a Cold Weather Payment if the average temperature where you live drops to 0°C or below (i.e. freezing) for seven days in a row.
You will receive £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2024 and 31 March 2025.
You do not have to apply for this; it will be paid to you automatically in your benefits.
The government provides a Cold Weather Payment tool for you to check if you are due to get a payment.
For some very specific medical conditions, the NHS will make a contribution to your energy bills. For instance, if you require dialysis at home, the NHS will pay for the electricity needed to run the dialysis machine. You may need to get a separate electricity meter installed for the machine, so they know how much it uses. To find out whether this is something you are eligible for, talk to your medical team.
If none of these options work for you and you are still struggling to pay your bills, then it is important to speak to your energy company as soon as possible. They may allow you to spread your payments out using a payment plan, to make it easier to keep on top of them.
Although it won’t necessarily help with your bills, it might still be a good idea for you and the person you care for to be added to your energy company’s Priority Services Register. This is a free service for older and vulnerable customers that provides a little extra support. This support can include having a copy of the person you care for’s bills sent to you as their carer, getting supplies delivered in an emergency or being notified is advance if your supply is due to be interrupted. Just get in touch with your energy company and ask to be added.
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