Through our Family Fuel and Water Poverty project, we can see firsthand just how low-income families across Berkshire are facing difficult decisions this autumn and winter.

The news out there is bleak with @The Times recently reporting that all households face the biggest income squeeze in generations as average energy bills edge towards £500 a month. The chart below indicates how some of us are going to be paying triple the price on our energy bills over the course of the year

There are a few actions we can all take to delay those energy bills shooting up so fast, even delaying turning on the heating for a couple of weeks could save us £5 a day, depending on the property type. Other actions we can take include;

• Checking your thermostats are not set too high, and if they’re on a timer, check that they go on when necessary.
• Move furniture away from radiators as this stops hot air circulating and can cause energy efficiency.
• Turn off radiators in rooms that you do not use
• Shut doors and close curtains in the evening to help trap in warm air.
• Put a reminder in your diary to submit a meter reading on September 20th – the day before the price cap increases. By doing this your supplier will know exactly how much you have used on the lower rate

What help is there?

Every household will get a £400 energy rebate spread over six months from October and automatically deducted from your energy bill. The £400 discount, administered by energy suppliers, will be paid to consumers over 6 months with payments starting from October 2022, to ensure households receive financial support throughout the winter months.

A useful image is taken from the BBC to illustrate how to access it can be viewed above.

Households that get means-tested benefits have started receiving the first of two payments totaling £650 to help with the cost of living crisis. Households where one person claims disability benefit get another £150. Pensioner households will get an extra £300, paid with their annual winter fuel payments

More details of how the scheme will run can be found here – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/400-energy-bills-discount-to-support-households-this-winter

Are you a practitioner or volunteer working with low-income households?

If yes you may be interested in a FREE webinar we are running this autumn offering training, information and advice on Energy & Water Bills. For more details please click here.

Support us and our work

If you would like to support this project consider making a £20 individual donation and become a member of our charitable organisation. Full details of membership can be found here: https://ccberks.org.uk/ccb-membership/