There have been changes to the energy cap. Ofgem provides more information about this on their website.
Support available to help with energy costs is set out below. This includes financial help with bills, support and advice to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Improving energy efficiency helps to manage energy bills into the future.
Support available to help with rising energy costs is set out below. This includes financial help with bills, support and advice to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Improving energy efficiency helps to manage energy bills into the future.
Our partners, Simple Energy Advice, Centre for Sustainable Energy, and Citizen’s Advice provide further information on support, in particular, the grants available from energy suppliers.
Always contact your energy supplier as soon as you can if you’re worried about paying your energy bills, are in debt to your supplier or can’t afford to top up your prepayment meter.
Under Ofgem rules, your supplier must work with you to agree on a payment plan you can afford. You might be able to apply to them for a non-repayable hardship grant to help pay it off.
If you can’t get a grant from your own supplier, you might be able to get a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust Individuals and Families Fund (0121 348 7797) which offers grants of up to £1,500. These grants are available to anyone - you don’t have to be a British Gas customer.
Top tips to save energy costs
Check if these energy saving tips provided by Octopus Energy, Money Saving Expert (Martin Lewis) or the Energy Saving Trust could help you reduce your bills.
If you’ve got a combi boiler at home - one that produces your heating and hot water - you could save up to £112 a year on your gas bill by taking a few moments to change a single setting. It only takes a few minutes to lower your flow temperature, and it can be changed back instantly. Find out how.
Government support with energy prices
Energy Price Guarantee: The Energy Price Guarantee reduces the unit cost of electricity and gas.
- The price guarantee limits the amount you can be charged per unit of gas or electricity, so your exact bill amount will continue to be influenced by how much energy you use.
- You don't need to apply, and there’s no need to contact your energy supplier.
The discount is automatic. If you get a message telling you that you need to apply, or asking for your bank or credit card details, this could be a scam. You can report messages you think are suspicious.
What to do if you’re struggling to pay your energy bills
Make your home more energy efficient, lower your energy bills and reduce your carbon emissions.
By making your home more energy efficient, you can reduce your energy use and make your home warmer.
This can include changing the way you heat your home, adding insulation to reduce loss of heat, and generating your own renewable energy.
The Energy Saving Trust
The Energy Saving Trust have information on:
- heating your home,
- reducing home heat loss,
- generating renewable electricity,
- and buying energy efficient products.
Scottish and Southern Electricity (SSEN)
SSEN also provide good advice on how to reduce your carbon footprint and save money.
Flexible Home Improvement Loans
We offer a Flexible Home Improvement Loan scheme aimed at helping homeowners aged 60 years or over to carry out improvements or repairs to make their homes:
- Safer.
- Warmer.
- Healthier.
- More comfortable.
Loan offers we have made have included funding to provide:
- New kitchens.
- Bathrooms.
- Re-roofing.
- Replacement boilers.
- Complete central heating systems.
- Double glazing.
- Solar panels.
Please see our Flexible home improvements loan webpage for further information.
DraughtBusters
DraughtBusters is a service in which volunteers offer to fix draughts for free! They especially want to help those who might find it difficult to heat their homes. Request help by emailing RBWMdraughtbusters@gmail.com.