North East Named as UK ‘Cold Spot’

- People across the UK losing out on help with their energy bills -

- Home Heat Helpline and Help the Aged urge people to make just one call to access advice and financial support –

Despite most of the country benefiting from warm weather this month, the Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) have today revealed which regions are the UK’s ‘cold spot’ when it comes to accessing advice and support on heating their homes with thousands of households in the region potentially missing out on financial support with their energy bills.

Analysis of more than 14,000 calls to the Home Heat Helpline has revealed that people in the North East were the least likely to have taken advantage of the free Helpline. The results show that whilst savvy households in regions such as London, North West and South East are taking advantage of the helpline only four per cent of callers were from the North East.  The East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands are also missing out, responsible for under eight per cent of all calls to the helpline each.

As a result, thousands of residents of these regions could be potentially missing out on essential advice and financial support to help them with their fuel bills. Those that call could benefit from reduced tariffs from their energy company, advice on reducing the amount they spend heating their home, access to grants for home insulation and support if they have special requirements due to a disability.

More than 50,000 people have called the Helpline since it launched in October 2005. Of the 14,000 callers who said where they were calling from the following figures have been broken down by region.

Duncan Sedgwick, chief executive, Energy Retail Association said

“Since we started the helpline we have had thousands of calls from vulnerable people who were either struggling to pay for their fuel bills or needed advice and assistance on insulating and heating their home efficiently. But it seems that the people of these regions are still missing out on free help and advice that could make a real difference to their heating bills”

“Just one free phone call to the Helpline (0800 33 66 99) could result in reduced energy bills, grants to insulate their home or simply ways they can save energy around the house. I would urge anyone to call today to make sure they are getting the help and advice they are entitled to and are prepared in good time for next winter.”

Mervyn Kohler, Head of Public Affairs at Help the Aged, said:

“There is help going unclaimed which could improve the efficiency, and the cost, of heating in the home.   Unfortunately it comes from a variety of different sources and in a range of forms.   The Home Heat Helpline exists to unpack that potential confusion, and provide information - in one phone call - about the help which is available.   Far too many older householders live in homes which are dangerously cold in the winter months, risking their health and causing much misery; they (or people caring for them) should make a call to the Home Heat Helpline.”

The Home Heat Helpline, which is funded by Britain’s energy suppliers, aims to help vulnerable customers who have problems heating their home. The helpline is the only service for all customers who have difficulties with heating their homes or paying for their energy bills no matter who their energy supplier is.  It is staffed by expert advisors, including former health professionals who are trained to give advice on how to stay warm during cold weather. The Helpline can also take calls from intermediaries calling on behalf of vulnerable people, such as friends, family, carers, social workers or health visitors.

To help those worried about heating their homes the Helpline has produced a range of guides for consumers, charities and advice groups. These include digital guides that can be downloaded from the Home Heat Helpline website (www.homeheathelpline.org) which contain information and advice on insulating homes properly, making sure homes are as energy efficient as possible and providing information on how people can register for extra services to ensure they are warm for next winter.

Ends

 Notes to Editors

Four Communications

0870 420 3245

HHH@fourcommunications.com

Home Heat Helpline

Oliver Wright – 020 7747 5436

oliver.wright@energy-retail.org.uk

• The Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) operates from Monday to Friday 9am-8pm and from 10am-2pm on Saturday. There is a free minicom number for deaf users (0800 027 2122), and the Helpline also has access to interpreters for those callers whose first language is not English. www.homeheathelpline.org

• The Helpline is operated by The essentiagroup and is staffed by expert advisers, including former health professionals, who are trained to give advice on how to stay warm during the cold weather. They are also trained and authorised to deal with intermediaries calling on behalf of vulnerable customers, such as friends, carers, social workers or health visitors
  

• The Energy Retail Association was established in October 2003 and is the only dedicated trade association for domestic energy suppliers in the UK. More information can be found at www.energy-retail.org.uk

• The Home Heat Helpline, launched in October 2005, is a free service for all British citizens and is funded by Britain’s six major energy suppliers. It is the only telephone helpline service that aims to tackle fuel poverty. The energy suppliers spent £300 million between 2002 – 2005 on tackling fuel poverty and have committed to spend a further £700 million over the next 3 years on this important issue.

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