Never mind the sunshine! Now’s the time to get advice on winter fuel bills

Hot weather has led to the big central heating switch-off – but many Merthyr Tydfil people on low incomes still have the worry of winter fuel bills that are now dropping through their letterboxes.

Paying for higher winter bills can be difficult for many people, and the Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) is urging people on lower incomes or benefits to take advice now to ease payment problems. We know that many people in Merthyr Tydfil are finding it hard to pay their fuel bills.

The Home Heat Helpline is a free service with advice on reducing energy bills and access to grants from the Government and energy suppliers for home insulation and to improve your heating system.

Duncan Sedgwick, Chief Executive of the Energy Retail Association which runs the helpline said: “Winter may be over, but for many customers this is the time of year when the largest fuel bills arrive. We want to help those people who are worried about their bills and are finding it hard to pay them.”

The Home Heat 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.

By ringing the free ‘phone number 0800 33 66 99, callers can talk to the Helpline’s specialist advisers and get help on a variety of issues including:
• Accessing grants to insulate your home or replace your heating system through Government schemes or through your energy supplier.
• The lowest energy tariff available from your energy supplier
• A benefits health check to make sure you are getting all the income you are entitled to
• Joining the Priority Service Register which allows elderly people, the disabled and those with long-term health problems to get extra services such as free annual gas safety check of all gas appliances and regular metre readings if they find it hard to read the metre themselves

Mr Sedgwick added: “We not only urge individuals on low incomes to seek advice – we also ask people to pass on the number to relatives or friends who may also be facing payment problems”

The Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) is a free gateway to making the arrangements for reducing bills in the short term and making homes warmer and more energy efficient. The service is funded by Britain’s energy suppliers and operates on Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. All residents of the UK are entitled to ring the Helpline. Calls can be taken in English or Welsh.

ENDS

For more information please contact the Home Heat Helpline Campaign Manager Oliver Wright on 020 7747 5436, oliver.wright@energy-retail.org.uk

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.