A new campaign hosted by Citizens Advice Hammersmith and Fulham will help residents keep their energy bills down.
The ‘Energy Best Deal’ sessions run until May will help residents understand how they can keep costs down and save both money and energy.
Advisers at the sessions can help people compare their gas and electricity costs, negotiate with providers and reduce how much energy they use.
“We want to be the greenest borough in the country and are doing what we can to keep our energy bills down, such as introducing new LED street lights,” said Cllr Sue Fennimore, H&F Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion.
“So we hope that residents can make the most of these informative sessions from Citizens Advice and play their part in keeping the borough greener too.”
Save energy, save money
Research last year revealed 3 in 10 people believe they will be unable to heat their homes to a comfortable level over the winter.
The sessions could help some people make significant savings on their current tariffs by switching providers. Residents can also find out how to make further savings by making their homes more energy efficient, by getting a boiler service, or double glazed windows.
“Bigger bills for gas and electricity can add to people’s financial worries at the beginning of the year,” said Fiona Cooke, London Energy Champion at Citizens Advice Hammersmith and Fulham.
“Many people could be able to save hundreds on their bills by switching to a cheaper deal or making their home more energy efficient.
“Anyone who wants to trim the cost of their gas and electricity can get in touch with our team of Energy Best Deal advisers for help.”
Energy Best Deal is a project run by Citizens Advice and funded by voluntary contributions from energy companies, who this year contributed £1.4 million to fund it.
Last year a record 14,000 people from across the UK attended an Energy Best Deal session to get help saving money on their bills.
People attending group sessions who find they need further help can ask for one-on-one sessions under Energy Best Deal Extra.
Anyone looking to cut their bills should contact Chris Marsh on 07580 654 557 to find out if they can benefit from Energy Best Deal.
Or to receive help with energy efficiency improvements and boiler replacements through H&F Council’s Healthier Homes Scheme, call 020 7341 5721.
Top energy-saving tips
- If you are having problems paying your energy bills contact your nearest Citizens Advice. They can check to see if you are getting the benefits you are entitled to, or if you are eligible for extra help.
- Contact your supplier if you have problems paying or if you think your bill is wrong. If you’re struggling to afford your bills they should refer you to available support or talk you through repayment options.
- Make sure that you’re on the cheapest tariff. Check with your supplier and use the Citizens Advice price comparison tool to see what the best available deal for you is.
- If you are on the standard variable tariff check if there is a cheaper fixed deal available. The standard tariff is often much more expensive than other available fixed price tariffs, where the price of a unit of energy will stay the same for the length of the deal.
- Check your bills carefully and send a meter reading to your supplier regularly. This will allow you to check how much energy you use and make sure you’re paying the right amount. You can find out more about how to do this here.
- If you use a pre-payment meter, remember that standing charges will be added daily - even when you aren’t using energy. Check how much they are and keep your meter topped up even during warm weather to avoid unexpected charges.
- If you use heating oil as your main fuel, buy before winter and see if there are any local oil buying clubs you can join. If not, you might want to start your own.
- Make your home more energy efficient – insulate lofts and walls, double glaze or use thick curtains to keep the heat in, and get your boiler serviced or replaced to ensure it is energy efficient. You can find out whether you are eligible for financial help with this here.
- Avoid leaving appliances on standby or leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily. Fix leaking taps and always turn off the light when you leave a room.
- Do a home energy check to find out about savings on household energy bills.
