support available for rising energy prices

believe housing is offering support and advice for customers who may be impacted by the increase of household energy bills.

From Friday, 1 April 2022, the energy price cap – which sets a limit on the rates households pay for each unit of gas and electricity, with standing charges taken into account – goes up by 54 per cent. This means the more energy you use, the more you pay.

For anyone looking to reduce the cost of their energy bills, here are a few tips to keep these as low as possible:

• Only heat the amount of water you need in your kettle, this could save you £11 per year
• Close curtains at dusk to stop heat leaking through the windows and tuck curtains behind the radiators
• Avoid leaving TVs, computers, mobile phones and other electrical devices on standby could save you £55 per year
• Try to avoid leaving these to charge longer than needed
• Reduce your thermostat by 1°C if you are still comfortable at this temperature
• Run your washing machine with full loads only or use an eco-setting, if your machine has this feature, and reduce your washing machine use by one run per week for a year. Both combined could save you £28 per year.

Further support and advice is also available for any believe housing customer who may be concerned about the rise in their energy bills.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme is available for customers of some energy suppliers who may be struggling to pay their energy bills. More details can be found on the government website here.

Vulnerable customers could also be eligible for extra support by joining the Priority Services Register, a free support service for people in vulnerable situations. The register ensures that people with special requirements have access to additional support from their energy supplier as and when they need it, from large format or Braille bills, to priority service in a power cut.

People who are eligible for the Priority Services Register include those:

• Who have reached state pension age
• Are disabled or have a long-term medical condition
• Are recovering from an injury
• Who have a hearing or sight condition
• Who have a mental health condition
• Are pregnant or have children under five
• Who have extra communication needs (e.g. those who don’t speak or read English well)
• Those who are recently bereaved.

More information on the Priority Services Register is on the government website here.

Further guidance on dealing with rising energy bills can also be found on the Money Saving Expert website.

Jayne Adamson, Tenancy Sustainment Manager at believe housing, said: “We know that the rise of the energy price cap is going to have a big impact on customers. If you do feel that you are struggling with your energy bills, please reach out for support.

“believe housing offers help to customers struggling with their bills and if we can’t help, we will work to see if anyone else can.”

Support and advice for our customers is available from the Money Matters Team at believe housing on 0300 1311 999 and from Citizens Advice on 0300 323 2000.