How the utility companies can help you
All energy providers have to offer social tariffs to help their most vulnerable customers cope with the high costs of gas and electricity. if you’re struggling to keep up with the rising cost of heating your home, why not talk to your provider and see if you can be moved to a cheaper tariff?
The Essentials tariff from British Gas (www.britishgas.co.uk) is the UK’s largest social tariff, aimed at reducing the gas and electricity bills of 750,000 of the company’s most vulnerable customers.
The aim is to offer vulnerable customers the lowest standard gas and electricity prices - which are normally inaccessible to people who don’t have a bank account. And all those customers who are registered for the British Gas Winter Rebate scheme will automatically be moved onto the Essentials tariff.
E.ON (www.eonenergy.com) social tariff StayWarm is specifically designed to help vulnerable customers over the age of 60. It is a fixed-price tariff that keeps costs the same for the 12-months after you’ve signed up.
The price you pay depends on how many people there are in your home and the number of bedrooms it has. All StayWarm customers must pay by monthly direct debit and the tariff is only available to those who are, or have someone over 60 years living in their home; have three bedrooms or less; have four or less people living in their home and take both gas and electricity from E.ON.
EDF (www.edfenergy.com) Energy Assist tariff is aimed at those customers experiencing fuel poverty - where they have to spend more than 10% of their household income on gas and electricity - or those receiving income support or pension credit.
Energy Assist gives vulnerable customers a 15% discount on EDF’s standard energy prices and around 57,000 customers currently benefit from this reduced tariff.
4. npower
If your annual income is less than £13,500 you might be eligible for the Spreading Warmth tariff from npower (www.npower.com), which offers discounts to customers on a low income and with someone in the household aged over 60, disabled, suffering from a chronic illness or under 16 years old.
The Spreading Warmth tariff delivers a dual fuel discount of up to £250 (£125 per fuel) that is applied quarterly in discounts of £31.25 per fuel.
If you’re not eligible for the Spreading Warmth tariff but are struggling to keep up with your bill payments you can still get help from npower’s First Step scheme. First Step advisors will work with you on a one-to-one basis to help you manage your bills and set up a personal payment plan that suits your circumstances.
You will also be evaluated to see if you’re eligible for help from the Fits Step fund which could write off some, or all, of your energy debt as long as you continue making regular, agreed payments
Scottish Power (www.scottishpower.co.uk) Carefree Plus social tariff, offers eligible customers a saving of up to £112 a year on their energy bill. Scottish Power is also offering to offset the impact of increases over the winter months for vulnerable customers on its Carefree Priority Services Register. This will take the form of an average credit of £22 for gas and £9 for electricity to these customers’ accounts.
Scottish Power is also the only energy provider to set prepayment meters - which are often used by those on the lowest incomes - at a lower cost than standard quarterly credit prices.
EnergyPlus Care from Scottish & Southern (www.scottish-southern.co.uk) offers those customers experiencing fuel poverty a 20% discount on their current fuel prices - regardless of which payment method they use.
As well as the discounted energy, customers on Scottish & Southern’s social tariff will receive free energy efficiency advice to help them save on future bills, a free benefits check to make sure they’re not missing out on any help they’re entitled to and even free energy efficiency measures, from low-energy light bulbs to a free fridge or a discounted fridge/freezer.
Wheelchair bound pensioner Dora Kennedy, 79, had been struggling with her high Economy 7 electricity bills, until she was advised by EnergyChoices.co.uk to sign up to a social tariff.
Dora, who suffers from the rare, life threatening illness Addison’s Disease, was told by her energy supplier Scottish Power (www.scottishpower.co.uk) that her direct debit was assessed as £46 a month. As her only source of income is a small government pension and a severe disability premium, received through her severe arthritis in her lower spine, hips and knees, Dora was shocked about the price of her energy bills.
Cared for, bathed and fed by nurses in an Extra Care apartment block in Weston-super-Mare, her excessive bills were a worry: “As I live alone and never have anyone staying over, £46 a month seemed unreasonably high to me.”
Dora hadn’t heard of a social tariff before using the site, and was unaware of the benefits of switching. After a quick call to Scottish Power she’d signed up to a new tariff and lowered her bills.
Dora agrees that more needs to be done to promote the cheaper services available to those who need them the most. She said: “Most of the residents here in my apartment block - all elderly and frail - to whom I have mentioned my cheaper social tariff have never heard of it, - and ask me how I found out about it. It’s because I keep my eyes and ears open; while my body may be ready for the scrapheap, my brain is ready for Mastermind!
7. The WaterSure Scheme or Welsh Water Assist
The WaterSure Scheme (England) and Welsh Water Assist (Wales) helps people on certain welfare benefits who are finding it difficult to pay their water charges because they:
- use a lot of water because they have certain medical conditions, or
- have three or more dependent children under the age of nineteen.
People who meet the criteria for help under these initiatives can have their water bill capped at the amount of the average household water bill for their water company. In some cases, being accepted for this scheme can halve the amount they have to pay.