Where do you turn for help if you’re struggling to pay your heating bills?
It’s a difficulty facing more people as the cost-of-living crisis puts further strain on household budgets. Some are now having to choose between heating or eating.
Since 2021, average annual energy costs for a typical household in the UK have gone up by almost £500, pushing many bill payers into arrears. In Cambridgeshire, 32,190 households are now living in fuel poverty, according to a recent National Energy Action report.
Across the county, more people are expected to ration their heating this winter, which is likely to affect their physical health and mental wellbeing. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The Cambridge Home Energy Support Service (CHESS), run by PECT and Cambridgeshire ACRE, exists to help residents in need. So far this year, it has already helped more than 530 households save energy, lower their heating bills, and access emergency financial support – because everyone deserves to live in a warm, healthy home.
Below are real stories from three residents CHESS has helped over the past year. Their names have been changed to protect their privacy.
Peace of mind for Joan
Joan, 90, from Wisbech, lives alone and has no close family. Before CHESS intervened, she was paying over £300 a month to her energy supplier, OVO Energy, who had wrongly calculated she had built up a debt of more than £1,600.
A home energy adviser from PECT, Cameron, paid Joan a visit earlier this year and checked over her bank statement and bills. Straight away, he could see something wasn’t right – the high monthly payments and outstanding debt didn’t make sense.
With Joan’s permission, Cameron phoned OVO Energy and explained the situation on her behalf. After long periods waiting on hold while the company’s customer service team investigated, there was good news: it turned out OVO had made a mistake. Instead of owing money, Joan was in fact £600 in credit. As a result, her monthly direct debit was reduced to £160.
“It has taken a massive weight off my shoulders as winter arrives,” said Joan, who is now paying almost half of what she had been for her energy and no longer worries about turning the heating on.
What is more, now that Joan is no longer paying off a non-existent debt, she has the option of switching her energy supplier. Cameron advised her that she can ring her supplier at any time to change her tariff before she is automatically moved to a more expensive standard variable tariff.
Getting Zach back on track
People of all ages can find themselves struggling to pay their energy bills.
Zach, a 28-year-old from Cambridge who had been unemployed for a few months, contacted CHESS for help resolving a small debt of £117 with E.ON. He was back in work but was feeling overwhelmed by high bills for his current energy usage in addition to a payment plan set up by his supplier to clear his arrears.
Zach spoke to PECT home energy adviser Henry, who offered advice on a saving energy in his all-electric flat. Henry also applied for a grant to clear his debt.
“The advice I got from Henry was great,” said Zach. “I was able to pay off a small debt that was on my energy account.”
Mike gets his bills under control
Helping to clear energy arrears is only part of the service CHESS provides. Its home energy advisers also help people to monitor their energy use and save energy, so they are less likely get into debt again. Such was the situation for Mike, 59, from Little Paxton.
Mike lives on a low income and has multiple health conditions, including diabetes, and despite trying to be careful with his energy consumption, he was £619 in arrears with his supplier, E.ON. He had been paying his bills via direct debit, and Eon had recommended increasing his monthly payments from £90 to £110 to pay off the debt.
Having discussed this payment plan with E.ON, Mike sought independent advice from CHESS and was referred to PECT home energy adviser Keith, whose first step was to advise him to contact his supplier and ask to join their Priority Service Register.
All utility companies keep Priority Service Registers to ensure extra help is available for customers who need it most. These services are free, but customers must join them anew each time they switch suppliers.
Keith also recommended Mike request a smart meter, so that he could track his energy use and identify ways to save energy around his house.
Next, Keith visited Mike at his home to help him adjust his heating control settings and collect the evidence he needed to apply for a CHESS debt relief grant. After a follow-up call, a debt relief payment was made to Mike’s energy supplier, which greatly reduced his arrears. Mike now feels in control of his bills and is confident he can pay off his remaining debt.
“The advice I got from Keith was very useful,” said Mike. “And the grant has helped me to clear the debt.
“Keith said ‘we’re always here if you need help in the future’, which was reassuring to hear.”
How to get help
Residents in Cambridge City, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and East Cambridgeshire can freephone 0800 802 1773 or email [email protected] to book a support call from a PECT home energy adviser.
Peterborough or South Cambridgeshire residents should contact LEAP, run by PECT’s subsidiary Green Energy Switch, by ringing 0800 060 7567 or emailing [email protected].
Learn more about the support and advice CHESS provides here
*Names have been changed to protect privacy