Desperately Trying to Keep Warm
KENT BARKER
The government may have scrapped the Winter Fuel Allowance, but there are other schemes out there that can help with gas and electricity bills and they are desperately needed locally. Government statistics show that Hastings ‘has the highest percentage of fuel-poor households in the South East.’
According to Energise Sussex Coast (ESC), more than 500 fuel vouchers – worth over £31,000 – were issued to Hastings’ residents last year as a result of referrals from ESC’s free energy advice service. This is a form of emergency support offered to people at risk of being without power because they can’t afford to top-up their meters.
Meanwhile, the British Gas Energy Trust says it can offer money and energy advice, emergency fuel payments and energy debt grants with two support funds to help people struggling this winter. The Individuals and Families Fund and Energy Support Fund offer up to £2,000 in grants, whether you are a British Gas customer or not. A spokesman for the Trust said “Energy debt grants offer a fresh start to those who have fallen behind on their energy bills. They are essential not only for alleviating immediate financial pressures but also for ensuring that families can maintain healthy homes, especially during winter when energy use spikes. Without help, many people face the harsh reality of disconnection or self-rationing, leaving them vulnerable during the colder months”.
According to a recent report from the Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, a key problem is the low energy efficiency standards of privately rented properties. This is a particular problem in Hastings, which had a disproportionate number of rental dwellings – 29.6% compared with the national average of 17.3%. The report said that the main current government scheme to increase the energy efficiency of UK homes – the Energy Company Obligation – barely scratches the surface of fuel-poor households. It often focuses on measures such as heating controls that are ineffective at delivering substantially warmer homes, rather than insulation.
Energise Sussex Coast director Kate Meakin said: “Everyone should have a right to a home that is warm and dry in the winter.” The number of fuel vouchers issued, she said, was “testament to the persistence of fuel poverty locally. Dealing with the underlining causes of this means insulating houses. Yet, confronted by a bewildering array of different schemes and the obstacles created by private tenancies, many fuel-poor households have been unable to access necessary support. As the government’s new Warm Homes scheme becomes available next year we urge local residents – whether landlords or tenants – to contact us so that we can offer them free help to navigate the new system and work together to get to the root of fuel poverty in Hastings.”
More information from Britishgasenergytrust.org.uk or contact [email protected]
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