HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS

HOW TO SAVE
MONEY ON YOUR
ENERGY BILLS
WINTER 2013/14
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
Sarah Newton MP
18 Lemon Street
Truro
Cornwall
TR1 2LZ
01872 274 760
E-mail:
[email protected]
Website: www.sarahnewton.org.uk
Twitter: @SarahNewtonMP
Sarah holds regular advice surgeries across
the area, giving you the opportunity to raise
issues or problems in person. Please
contact Sarah’s office to make an
appointment.
This guide has been funded using voluntary
donations, and not at the expense of the
taxpayer.
This help guide has been prepared with
great care. The publisher is not, however,
liable for correctness, completeness and upto-dateness of the contents. If you wish to
make a correction, update or addition,
please contact:
[email protected]
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WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU
CAN SAVE MONEY?
Worried about how to pay for your energy
use? Concerned about rising energy bills?
If so then this guide can help. There is
lots of help already out there but it can
sometimes be hard to find and difficult to
know who to turn to.
This guide is designed to help you to
make your home more energy efficient
and make you aware of what support is
now available.
There is advice on how to get the best
deal from your energy supplier and details
about schemes such as the Government’s
Green Deal which can enable you to
install energy saving measures at no
upfront cost.
Included is also a range of financial
assistance to which you may be entitled.
The Pensions Service has a helpline
(08456 060 265) dedicated to helping
elderly people get the financial support
that they need and can help you to make
an application.
At the end is a list of various organisations
that can offer advice and support to you
and answer any of your questions.
Now is the time to start thinking about
how you can stay warm and save money
this winter.
Sarah Newton MP
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME
MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT
and kettles, as well as heating and lighting
products will have this logo prominently
displayed.
Cavity Wall Insulation
Check your Boiler
Approximately one third of heat lost in an
uninsulated home is through the walls.
Insulating your walls is a very cost
effective way of saving money and energy
in your home. If your home was built
between the 1920s and the 1990s then
insulating your walls could save you £110
on your annual heating bills. Not all
homes can be insulated in this way, so if
your home is a solid wall construction or
was built before the 1920s, you may wish
to consider installing internal or external
wall insulation which could save you £375
each year.
Loft Insulation
An uninsulated loft can result in you losing
15% of the heating that you pay for.
Insulating your loft with 270mm of
insulation could save you up to £145
each year. Some energy companies offer
free cavity wall and loft insulation but only
some customers may be eligible.
Look for the Energy
Saving Trust Logo
If your boiler is over 15 years old then it
could be time to replace it with a new
energy efficient one. Replacing an old
boiler with an A-rated condensing model
with a full set of heating controls could
save you a quarter of your annual heating
bill immediately, which is £235 on
average for a gas heated home.
Insulate your Hot Water Tank
An insulating jacket for a hot water tank
does not cost very much and very soon
pays for itself. Fitting a jacket that is
75mm or three inches thick will save
about £35 each year.
Close your Curtains
As the days grow shorter as winter
approaches, closing your curtains at dusk
helps to stop heat escaping through
windows. This is a simple and free way of
reducing wasted energy and your
energy bills.
Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
When buying new
electrical products, look
for the Energy Saving
Trust logo which is a
quick and simple way of finding the most
energy efficient products. Electrical
appliances such as televisions, computers
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Energy saving bulbs last up to 10 times as
long as regular bulbs and if you replace all
your light bulbs with energy efficient ones,
you could save up to £45 each year and
£670 over the lifetime of all the bulbs.
Generate your own Power
YOUR ENERGY SUPPLIER
If you have the funds available, you could
install your own microgeneration units
such as solar photovoltaics (PV) for
electricity and ground source heat pumps
for heat. Government schemes such as
the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) can offer you an
income from the electricity that you
generate and the Renewable Heat
Premium Payment (RHPP) can help you to
cover the upfront cost of installing green
heating systems.
You could save money by switching to
another energy supplier that is best suited
to your needs. In order to get advice on
which supplier and price plan would be
best for you, you can contact the Citizens
Advice Consumer Service which offers
free and impartial advice as well as
information on how to choose and change
energy suppliers.
Take a Home Energy Check
The Energy Saving Trust has an online
home energy check which you can find at
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk or by
calling 0300 123 1234. You can complete
an online questionnaire which will give you
specific advice on how you can improve
your home’s energy efficiency. The Energy
Saving Trust can give you free and
impartial advice on how to make your
home more energy efficient and tell you
about financial grants that may be
available.
Consumer Futures also has details of
price comparison websites. The contact
details for Consumer Futures and
accredited comparison websites can be
found at the end of this guide.
Switching Made Easy
A range of measures are being taken to
make it easier to switch suppliers. The
time that it takes to change energy
supplier is limited to three weeks so as to
speed up the process for consumers and
so that they can start to benefit from
reduced bills a lot sooner.
The Government is simplifying the entire
process and making information on tariffs
and price plans more accessible and far
easier to understand. From 2014 energy
suppliers will be obliged to place customers
on the cheapest tariff and thus save money
on their bills.
In addition, if you are disabled, have a
long-term illness or are over the pension
age, you can ask your energy supplier
about registering for the Priority Service
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
Register. This would enable you to get
help with annual gas safety checks, meter
readings, priority treatment in an
emergency and most importantly means
that you cannot have your utilities
disconnected during the winter.
Energy companies also offer other forms
of assistance to their customers. If you
are having trouble paying your bills or are
worried about the cost of energy this
winter, you should get in touch with your
energy supplier as soon as possible to see
what is on offer. Examples include:
EDF Energy Trust Fund
EDF Energy has created the EDF Energy
Trust Fund which is designed to award
grants to their customers to:
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Help to clear domestic gas and
electricity debts.
Clear other priority debts (also known
as Further Assistance Payments).
Purchase essential household items.
For more information and details on how
to apply, visit www.edfenergytrust.org.uk
The British Gas Energy Trust
The British Gas Energy Trust is a
registered charity designed to offer
assistance to those customers who have
difficulty in paying their utility bills.
Individuals and families who require help
can apply to have their gas and electricity
debts cleared, and other priority debts can
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be paid off in exceptional circumstances.
This help would be provided in the form of
grants which would not have to be repaid.
You can apply by completing an online
form at
www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk but
also by requesting a form through the post
by telephoning 01733 421 060.
Further Assistance Payments
Further Assistance Payments can be
made available for household items such
as cookers, washing machines or
refrigerators when they break down and
need to be replaced but there must be an
urgent need for such financial assistance.
A letter would need to be provided from
an appropriate professional indicating
that there was an urgent and special need
for the item to be replaced. For example,
this professional could be a health worker
or social worker.
These payments can also be made
available for such things as replacing or
repairing a boiler. Exceptional
circumstances would have to be proved
and supporting letters from appropriate
professionals would also need to confirm
the requirement for such a payment. In
addition, quotes for the work would have
to be provided before any award was
made.
To obtain an application form, please
contact 01733 421 021 or email
[email protected]. Alternatively,
you can complete the form online at
www.charisgrants.com.
WHAT HELP IS THERE?
or Jobcentre Plus.
Cold Weather Payments
Winter Fuel Payments
This is a payment that is made to help you
with the cost of heating during the winter
months depending on if you are already in
receipt of other benefits.
Winter Fuel Payments are yearly one-off
payments that also help people to pay for
their heating bills during winter. They are
paid to men and women who have
reached the minimum age at which they
can receive their State Pension. The
amount that is paid is dependent upon
your circumstances when you apply, but it
could be between £100 and £300.
You may be entitled to Cold Weather
Payments if you receive:
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Pension Credit.
Income Support.
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Income-related Employment and
Support Allowance (ESA).
Universal Credit.
You do not need to apply for Cold Weather
Payments as they will be automatically
paid into the same bank account as your
other benefit payments.
A payment of £25 is made for each seven
day period of cold weather between the
1st November and the 31st March.
Payments will be made when the local
temperature is either:
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Recorded as an average of zero
degrees Celsius or below over seven
consecutive days.
Forecast to be an average of zero
degrees Celsius or below over seven
consecutive days.
How to claim
Once you have reached the qualifying age
(if you were born on or before the 5th July
1952) or if you are receiving certain
benefits, you should automatically be sent
a claim form in the post.
If you do not receive the claim form, you
can request a copy of the form to be sent
to you in the post by calling 0845 915
1515 or you can download the form by
visiting www.gov.uk and searching for
‘Winter Fuel Payment’.
The form then needs to be returned to the
following address:
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Department for Work and Pensions
PO Box 22
Gateshead
NE92 1BX
If you do not receive a Cold Weather
Payment when you are entitled, you
should contact either your pension centre
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
Do I need to claim?
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You need to claim Winter Fuel Payment if
you have not had it before and either of
the following apply:
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You do not get benefits or the State
Pension.
You only get Housing Benefit, Council
Tax Reduction, or Child Benefit.
Warm Home Discount Scheme
The Warm Home Discount is a four year
scheme which will run from April 2011 to
March 2015 and is designed to help lowincome and vulnerable households with
their energy bills.
The Government informs energy
suppliers of households which are
eligible for the Warm Home Discount and
the energy company then gives those
households a rebate on their electricity
bills. Older people will be considered as
part of a ‘core group’ and will be
guaranteed the rebate, which for this
winter amounts to £135, provided that
on 20th July 2013 they were either:
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75 or over and getting the Guarantee
Credit element of Pension Credit
(even if you get Savings Credit).
Under 75 and only getting the
Guarantee Credit element of Pension
Credit (you will not qualify if you also
get Savings Credit).
And all of the following apply:
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Their electricity supplier is
participating in the scheme.
Their or their partner’s name is on
their electricity bill.
If you do qualify for the ‘core group’, a
confirmation letter will be sent to you in
the autumn from the Government and
you will receive your rebate
automatically.
There may be instances, however, when
a rebate cannot be made automatically
but if this is the case, you will receive a
letter asking for you to supply further
information.
It is not just the elderly who can qualify
but other vulnerable households too.
Those on low-incomes or those with longterm illnesses or disabilities may also be
eligible. Electricity suppliers that are
participating in the scheme have been
requested to set aside a certain amount
which will be used to support these
households which is known as the
‘broader group’.
The Warm Home Discount is expected to
help approximately two million
households by 2014 and will be worth up
to £1.1 billion compared to the previous
‘social tariff’ scheme which was worth
only £375 million. Some energy
companies that are participating will be
able to offer more help than others. EDF
Energy, for instance, estimates that
between 40,000-45,000 customers will
benefit from the Warm Home Discount
scheme.
As this scheme is already up and running
and as there is limited discretionary
funding for the ‘broader group’, it is
absolutely vital to apply to your energy
supplier as soon as possible. They will
also be able to tell you whether you are
eligible to receive support.
The energy companies that are
participating in the Warm Homes Discount
scheme are as follows:
Atlantic Energy and Gas
British Gas
EDF Energy
E.ON
Equipower
Equigas
First Utility
Manweb
M&S Energy
Npower
Sainsbury’s Energy
Scottish Gas
Scottish Hydro
ScottishPower
Southern Electric
SSE
Swalec
Utility Warehouse
Surviving Winter Fund
Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) is
an independent registered charity that
awards grants to various organisations
across Cornwall that have a positive
impact on their local area. In particular,
these organisations must tackle issues of
poverty, exclusion and disadvantage for
people of all ages.
CCF has set up a ‘Surviving Winter Fund’.
This is where you can choose to donate
your Winter Fuel Payment to the
Foundation if you feel that you do not
need the payment yourself. The money
will then be collected into a fund and
distributed by CCF to organisations across
Cornwall that will help people to stay
warm this winter. If you would like to
donate your Winter Fuel Payment to the
Cornwall Community Foundation, you can
do so online:
www.justgiving.com/ccf/donate
Alternatively, you can send a cheque
made payable to ‘Cornwall Community
Foundation’ with a covering note
specifying that the cheque should be used
for the ‘Surviving Winter Fund’. The
contact details for the CCF are in the
‘Useful Contacts’ section at the end of this
document.
CCF is working with the Citizens Advice
Bureau (CAB) in order to distribute this
fund to those in urgent need. In order to
apply for help you must be aged over 60
and live in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly,
and you must be in immediate and
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
serious financial need. You could receive
between £10 and £50 in order to help pay
off a fuel bill or put to money onto your
electricity card. The money would only be
given to you if it was for an emergency
crisis situation, if you ran out of money on
your electricity card for instance.
You would need to meet with a CAB
adviser in order to apply to the fund and
you should contact them beforehand to
find out what you would need to bring with
you. The contact details for the CAB can
be found in the ‘Useful Contacts’ section
at the end of this booklet.
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Discounted
Insulation and
Community
Energy Plus
Cornwall Council funds an insulation
scheme which is managed by the local
energy charity, Community Energy Plus.
The scheme offers homeowners and
private tenants discounts for installing
cavity wall insulation and loft insulation.
Each type of insulation is offered at £99.
The applications for the insulation scheme
can be made through their website at:
www.cep.org.uk or you can telephone
0800 954 1956.
Community Energy Plus also manages the
Cornwall hub of the South West Energy
Saving Trust Advice Centre where their
local advisers provide free and impartial
advice on a range of subjects including:
Community Energy Plus also offers free
insulation to priority customers who
qualify. In order to qualify, your household
must include at least one person aged
over 70 or is in receipt of one of the
following qualifying benefits:
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Child Tax Credit and has a relevant
income of £15,860 or less.
Income-related Employment &
Support Allowance, and – receiving a
work-related activity or support
component; or has parental
responsibility for a qualifying child; or
in receipt of a qualifying component.
Income-based Job Seekers Allowance,
and has parental responsibility for a
qualifying child; or in receipt of a
qualifying component.
Income Support, and has parental
responsibility for a qualifying child; or
in receipt of a qualifying component.
Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit and has a relevant
income of £15,860 or less, and has
parental responsibility for a qualifying
child; or in receipt of a Disabled
Worker Element or Severe Disability
Element; or is aged 60 years or over.
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Saving energy in the home.
Insulation.
Heating systems.
Renewable technologies.
Feed-in-Tariffs and ‘Rent a Roof’
schemes.
Grants for heating, insulation and
renewable energy generation.
Saving water.
There is team of advisers that are
available can help you with applications
for insulation grants, Renewable Heat
Premium Payments, as well as being able
to advise you on gas connections, fuel
switching and fuel debt grants.
If you, or someone that you know, would
benefit from the help that the Warm Me
Up! Project offers, then do get in touch
with Community Energy Plus either by
telephoning 0800 954 1956 or through
their website www.cep.org.uk
Warm Me Up!
Project
Cornwall Together & Collective
Switching
The Warm Me Up! Project seeks to
improve the quality of life for particularly
vulnerable people by improving their
access to services which can help to
reduce fuel poverty.
Cornwall Together is a group whereby
Cornish people join together to save
money on their energy bills.
Operated by Community Energy Plus
and funded by a grant from the Big
Lottery Fund, the Warm Me Up! Project
will assign you a dedicated caseworker
will be able to advise you on a wide
range of ways in which you can reduce
your energy bills. This advice will be
tailored to needs of each individual
household and will typically include:
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How to read meters and manage
energy bills.
Tackling damp, mould and
condensation.
Technology solutions suitable for
the customer’s home.
Help accessing grants and/or
finance.
Tariff options and help with fuel
switching.
This advice can be delivered through
home visits, advice surgeries,
freephone, post, text and e-mail.
The scheme works by you registering with
Cornwall Together and giving them a few
details about the amount of energy that
your household uses. Once they have
enough registered users, they will then
use this information to collectively
negotiate for a special deal with energy
suppliers (though this process will be
slightly different for heating oil
customers).
Cornwall Together will then come back to
you with two different options for a better
energy deal – one is likely to be a cheaper
deal and the other is likely to be energy
coming from a far more sustainable
source. You are under no obligation to
switch at that point but you could be
offered a better deal.
The scheme is entirely free for consumers
and for a limited time, all those who
register will receive free loft or cavity wall
insulation (though as this is limited it will
be on a strictly first come first served
basis).
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
To join the scheme, you can register
online at:
www.cornwalltogether.com.
Off-Grid Domestic Heating Oil
In 2010, Cornwall saw rocketing prices for
domestic heating oil during the
particularly harsh winter. In response the
Cornish charity and social enterprise,
Community Energy Plus, established the
‘Community Energy Oil Buying Club’.
The Club brings people together to form
community groups which enable them to
buy domestic heating oil in bulk and they
can therefore enjoy economies of scale
which leads to cheaper prices as well as
fewer but more regular deliveries. This is a
much better way of purchasing your
heating oil than if you choose to do so as
an individual.
The membership of the Club is free and
the costs of administering it will be taken
from the oil suppliers themselves at a rate
of 1p per litre purchased. Even with this
charge being levied, Community Energy
Plus believes that members could still
save up to £85 per year.
In order to join the Oil Buying Club, simply
visit www.communityenergyclub.org.uk/
signup and fill in a short form.
Off-Grid Discounts
Households that use off-grid energy
cannot take advantage of certain deals
such as ‘dual fuel’ discounts. This is
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where your electricity supplier is the same
company as your mains gas supplier and
offers you a reduced rate. Clearly this is
not an option to those who cannot receive
gas from the grid.
In an effort to redress this unfairness, EDF
Energy and E.ON offer a discount to those
customers who use off-grid energy to heat
their homes known as the “No Mains Gas
Discount”. At the moment, however, these
are the only two ‘Big Six’ companies to
offer such a deal, so if you have electricity
supplied by either EDF Energy or E.ON,
you should contact these companies to
take advantage of the “No Mains Gas
Discount”.
You should also be sure to apply for the
Warm Home Discount. As this is through
your electricity supplier, you may still be
eligible for the discount. Details of the
Warm Home Discount are included in this
help sheet.
The Delivery Price
It has been reported that customers
buying domestic heating oil are
sometimes quoted one price but are then
charged a much higher price when the oil
is delivered. In some instances the price
increase is nearly double that originally
quoted. Carmarthenshire County Council
successfully prosecuted a supplier for this
practice and if you are affected by a
similar occurrence, you should contact
Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards
Service as soon as possible. The contact
details for the Trading Standards Service
are at the end of this document.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy technologies take
natural resources and use them to
provide free electricity and heating rather
than relying on fossil fuels. This can help
to drive down the cost of energy as well as
reducing carbon emissions.
There are a variety of renewable energy
technologies which are available for
homeowners to install which include:
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Solar Photovoltaics (PV)
Solar Thermal Water Heating
Heat Pumps
Wood Fuels
Wind Energy
There are also a range of incentives that
have been provided by the Government to
help fund these installations which are
detailed below.
The Renewable Heat Premium
Payment
The Renewable Heat Premium Payment is
a Government scheme that is designed to
help you to afford the renewable
technology that you may need for your
home. These may include:
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Solar thermal panels
Heat pumps
Biomass boilers
Who can apply?
How you currently heat your home will
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
determine which technologies you can
apply to be funded:
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If you have recently removed a
mains gas heating system or
currently heat your home with mains
gas, you are only eligible to apply for
solar thermal.
If you currently rely on oil, liquid gas,
solid fuel or electricity then you could
also apply for air-to-water heat
pumps, ground-source or watersource heat pumps and biomass
boilers.
You must own the property in which you
wish to install the renewable technology
or, if you rent your home, you must have
permission from the landlord and be
purchasing the installation for yourself.
The property must have loft insulation to
250mm and also cavity wall insulation (if
this is possible in your property).
Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs)
Should you decide to install
microgeneration technology in your
property, you could apply for the Feed-inTariff scheme. The scheme is designed to
give you a minimum payment for the
electricity that is generated by the system
and additional payments for any surplus
electricity that is then transferred to the
national grid. These payments are in
addition to the savings that you would
make on your energy bills.
The FIT scheme covers electricity that is
generated by the following means:
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All the necessary planning and
environmental permissions must already
be in place and the product and installer
you choose must be certified under the
Microgeneration Certification Scheme
(MCS) or Solar Keymark.
How do I apply?
You can apply for the Renewable Heat
Premium Payment online through the
Energy Saving Trust’s website at
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scheme/
view/rhpp. Alternatively, you can
telephone on 0300 123 1234.
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Solar electricity (PV)
Wind turbine
Hydroelectricity
Anaerobic digestion (microorganisms
break down biodegradable material to
release energy)
Micro combined heat and power
(otherwise know as Micro-CHP,
although this is limited to a pilot at
this stage)
The tariffs vary depending upon when the
technology was installed and whether the
company installing the technology was
certified under the Microgeneration
Certification Scheme (MCS).
Registering for FITs
The easiest way to apply for the FIT
scheme is to first contact your installer.
They will then register you on the MCS
database and send you a certificate which
will show your MCS compliance.
Then you should inform your chosen FIT
supplier that you wish to register for the
FIT scheme. You will also have to send
them a completed application form as
well as the MCS certificate and the Energy
Performance Certificate that proves your
home has an energy efficiency rating of
band D or better.
The Green Deal
The Green Deal came into effect from
October 2012.
The Green Deal is a new initiative which
will allow individuals and businesses to
install energy saving measures at no
upfront cost and will really help to improve
the energy efficiency of properties,
particularly for those in rural areas such
as Cornwall.
Millions of homes and businesses could
benefit from improvements under the
Green Deal. Both owner-occupiers and
tenants will be able to see the rewards of
a more energy efficient property. More
help will also be given to those who are
most in need such as those on low
incomes, vulnerable households and
those in ‘hard to heat’ homes.
installed by an accredited provider at no
upfront cost. This will make expensive
home improvements affordable.
For you as the consumer, the first step will
be to get an independent and impartial on
-site assessment of your home. The
advisor will be able to identify where your
home is wasting energy and tell you what
steps you could take to reduce this waste.
They should also be able to tell you how
much you can expect to save by installing
each of these measures.
The next step will be
to choose which
improvements you
would like to be
made. There is a list
of ‘Green Deal
Approved’ companies who have been
accredited and you can work with them to
agree the price for the work but crucially,
you do not have to pay them for the work
straight away.
How will it be paid for?
How will it work?
You can choose whether you would like to
pay for the work or whether you would
prefer to pay for it through your energy bill.
If you choose to pay through your energy
bill then the payments will be agreed right
at the start and if you choose to move
house then the payments stay with that
property and do not come with you.
Improvements to your property such as
loft and cavity wall insulation, underfloor
heating, heat pumps, draught proofing,
double glazing and boilers, could be
The cost of installing these measures will
be paid over time through a charge on the
property’s energy bill. The repayments
must, however, obey the “Golden Rule”
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
whereby the charge itself can never be
more than the expected savings. This
means that you should save from day one
of the new measures being installed.
For Green Deal improvements, you can
expect the savings on your bills to pay for
all the work done and in addition, by
taking steps to reduce your energy
consumption you will be better protected
from any rises in energy prices.
Who will do the work?
Many organisations will bring the Green
Deal to your attention such as Cornwall
Council, your landlord, local community
groups, local builders or by your energy
company themselves. If you would like to
take advantage of the Green Deal
scheme, you should contact one of these
groups and they will be able to advise you
further and put you in touch with an
accredited installer. It is only those
installers who have been accredited and
will carry a “quality mark” that will be able
to carry out work under the Green Deal.
Consumer protection will be at the heart
of the Green Deal and these will include
measures such as:
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New accreditation and standards
arrangements for those authorised
under the Green Deal.
Stronger cold calling protections.
A robust standard of warranties.
The cross-selling of products only
when customers have agreed this in
advance.
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Regulations so that assessors must
make their role clear and disclose
when they move from making an
impartial assessment to the stage of
making a sale.
Part of the Green Deal will be the Energy
Company Obligation (ECO) which will
require energy companies to provide more
funding for energy efficiency measures to
be installed in homes across the country.
This will be targeted at particularly
vulnerable and low income households
and those homes that are difficult to heat.
Money will be specifically set aside to
provide support with an estimated 2.8
million hard-to-treat cavity wall properties
being eligible under ECO.
Glow Cornwall
Glow Cornwall is a
new scheme that
is targeted at
helping households throughout Cornwall
save energy and save money between
2013 and 2018. A range of measures
can be installed in people’s homes
including insulation, boiler replacement,
micro generation and many others
(depending on the requirements of the
home). The scheme is divided between
the Energy Company Obligation and the
Green Deal and up to £100m has been
allocated for Cornwall to support the work
of Glow Cornwall.
Supported by Cornwall Council’s Green
Cornwall team, Glow Cornwall is being
delivered by British Gas using local
companies, and takes advantage of the
latest Government initiatives designed to
help people to save on their energy bills.
Over the next five years, tens of
thousands of Cornish homes will be
helped by having energy efficiency
measures installed.
Free Boilers and Insulation
If you are receiving benefits or State
Pension Credit, you could be eligible for
free loft insulation, cavity wall insulation,
boiler repairs or even a new boiler through
Glow Cornwall.
■
■
■
Working Tax Credit (and your income
is £15,860 or less).
Income Support.
Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
How do I apply?
To receive a new energy efficient gas
boiler or a boiler repair, your current boiler
must be broken or deemed inefficient.
To apply for assistance, you can contact
Glow Cornwall by telephoning 0800 316
4425 or by e-mailing
[email protected]
As part of a new government initiative,
Glow Cornwall can install free boilers and
insulation in the homes of people who are
eligible and currently claiming benefits.
Who can apply?
To be eligible, you must be a private home
owner or tenant and one person in your
home must be in receipt of qualifying
benefits, which are:
Household member in receipt of:
■
■
■
Child tax credit and has income below
£15,860 or;
State pension Credit or;
Income Related Employment and
Support Allowance (plus the support
or work related element).
You may also qualify, however, if you
receive:
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
www.adviceguide.org.uk for online
information.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Age UK
An independent charity, Age UK provides
information and advice for elderly people
about a wide range of issues and can
refer you to other organisations which
can provide more practical help.
Age UK Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly
Boscawen House
Chapel Hill
Truro
Cornwall
TR1 3BN
01872 266 388
www.ageconcerncornwall.org.uk
18
CAB Cornwall (Truro)
The Library
Union Place
Truro
Cornwall TR1 1EP
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am - 3pm
by appointment only. Tuesday and
Thursday - specialist appointments only.
CAB Cornwall (Falmouth)
Mulberry Passage
Market Strand
Falmouth
Cornwall TR11 3DB
Monday 10am - 12:30pm. Tuesday and
Friday 10am - 3pm.
For specific advice tailored to your needs,
you should contact your local Citizens
Advice centre.
Community Energy Plus
Cornwall Community Foundation
Community Energy Plus provides advice
and support for renewable energy
projects. The organisation also works with
Cornwall Council to give people access to
free or discounted insulation as well as
helping community groups with planning
applications or finding access to grants for
renewable energy or increasing energy
efficiency.
An independent charity which awards
grants to various organisations across
Cornwall that have a positive impact on
their local area.
0800 954 1956
www.cep.org.uk
Cornwall Community Foundation
Suite 1
Sheers Barton
Lawhitton
Launceston
Cornwall PL15 9NJ
www.cornwallfoundation.com
01566 779 333 / 779 865
[email protected]
Consumer Futures
A statutory organisation representing
consumers. Consumer Futures can help
you by providing advice and information
regarding the energy market. They cannot,
however, discuss individual complaints
with members of the public..
www.consumerfutures.org.uk
Cornwall Council Trading Standards
Service
Trading Standards is responsible for the
enforcement of a wide range of trade
legislation including advertising,
marketing and the distribution and
supply of goods and services.
0300 1234 191
[email protected]
www.cornwall.gov.uk
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
Cornwall Together
Energy Saving Trust
Cornwall Together is an new collective
bargaining scheme designed to help
people reduce the cost of their energy
bills.
A national, non-profit, organisation
providing free and impartial information
and advice on how to improve energy
efficiency in your home. Linked to a
network of local advice centres.
It is free to use and customers will be
offered cheaper deals on their energy
use.
www.cornwalltogether.com
0300 123 1234
[email protected]
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
DWP General Benefits Line
The DWP Benefits Line is a free helpline
which can advise you on any benefits to
which you may be entitled. They can also
send you the necessary forms and help
you complete them so you can make a
claim.
0800 055 6688
Gas Safe Register
Energy Ombudsman
Gas Safe Register is the official body for
gas safety. They can provide you with
advice on gas appliances as well as
having a clear register of all reputable
companies involved in the field of
supplying gas.
Contact the Energy Ombudsman if you
have a problem or complaint that cannot
be resolved by your energy supplier.
In the first instance, you should always
contact your energy supplier. Only when
they have exhausted their complaints
procedures should you contact the
Ombudsman.
0330 440 1624 or 01925 530 263
www.ombudsman-services.org/
energy.html
20
0800 408 5500
www.gassaferegister.co.uk
Home Heat Helpline
Pensions Advisory Service
A free helpline which can provide
practical advice for people worried about
their fuel bills. This line can also give
advice to low-income households in
urgent need of help and advice.
An advice helpline that can provide
elderly people with advice on benefits to
which they may be entitled.
Open from 9am-8pm Monday to Friday
and 10am-2pm on Saturdays.
0845 601 2923
www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk
0800 336 699
www.homeheathelpline.org.uk
Winter Fuel Payment
Jobcentre Plus Benefits
Jobcentre Plus can provide you with a
wide range of information and services
on issues such as which benefits, loans
or grants that you may be entitled to.
A form of financial help from the
Government for elderly people. For
information and application forms to
claim the payment, please contact:
08459 151 515
www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment
0800 055 6688
www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus
Ofgem
Ofgem is the government regulator for
the gas and electricity markets. Its
purpose is to protect consumers and
does offer consumer advice on its
website.
www.ofgem.gov.uk
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
PRICE COMPARISON SITES
ACCREDITED BY CONSUMER
FUTURES
Moneysupermarket.com
www.moneysupermarket.com/gas-andelectricity
switchgasandelectric.com
www.switchgasandelectric.com
0845 345 1296
TheEnergyShop.com
www.theenergyshop.com
0845 330 7247
Energy Helpline
www.energyhelpline.com
0800 074 0745
UK Power
www.ukpower.co.uk
0800 093 2447
Uswitch
www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity
0800 404 7908
myutiltygenius.co.uk
myutiltygenius.co.uk
www.energylinx.co.uk
www.energylinx.co.uk
22
Which? Switch
www.which.co.uk/switch
01992 822867
SimplySwitch
www.simplyswitch.com
08000 111 395
Unravelit
www.unravelit.com/utilities.php
0800 862 0021
GREEN DEAL PROVIDERS
CONTACT MEMBERS
(FROM OCTOBER 2013)
1North Ltd
www.1north.co.uk
0800 043 0365
Solar Air (UK) Limited
www.solarairuk.com
01227 265 871
Keepmoat Limited
www.keepmoat.com
01302 346 620
letsgogreendeal.com
www.letsgogreendeal.com
0800 025 7223
Your Green Deal Provider Limited
www.yourgdp.com
01482 881 241
Energy Performance Direct Ltd
www.energyperformancedirect.co.uk
01392 435 052
PGL Training
www.pgltraining.com
01392 437 373
Green Deal Atlantic Ltd
www.greendealatlantic.com
0163 787 3041
Ellipse Energy Limited
www.ellipseenergy.co.uk
01509 410 377
SIG Energy Management Ltd
www.sigenergy.co.uk
0800 564 456
Capita Business Systems
www.capita.co.uk
Energy Basics Limited
Home Survey Reports Ltd.
www.energybasics.co.uk
03302 230 020
www.homesurveyreports.co.uk
0161 764 8780
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
Marshall and McCourt Plumbing and
Heating Contractors Limited
www.marshallandmccourt.co.uk
01642 913 200
Anesco Limited
www.anesco.co.uk
01189 702 595
Darren Evans Assessments Limited
www.darren-evans.co.uk
01454 317 940
EAS - Energy Assessors Services
Limited
www.e-a-s.co.uk
0800 756 6831
Idea Energy Surveys Ltd
www.ideaenergysurveys.co.uk
01325 352 221
Infinity Energy Organisation Limited
www.infinityenergyorganisation.com
02036 384 030
First Property Services UK Ltd
www.firstpropertyservices.co.uk
01782 610 546
Plymouth Drake Consultancy Limited
www.plymouthdrakeconsultancy.com
0800 292 2321
Go-Green Energy (Group) Ltd
Halogen Fairies Ltd
www.halogenfairies.co.uk
0151 448 7353
www.go-greenenergy.co.uk
0800 043 0191
Inteb Sustainability Limited
Ampere GDP Ltd
www.Ampere-GDP.com
01271 323 052
www.inteb.co.uk
01995 642 271
EvoEnergy Ltd
www.evoenergy.co.uk
0844 815 0200
24
Volta Solar Ltd
British Gas Trading Limited
www.voltagreendeal.co.uk
01614 255 144
www.britishgas.co.uk/greendeal
0800 107 2750
Low Carbon Exchange Ltd
Energy Trust
www.lowcarbonexchange.com
01173 591 410
www.energy-trust.co.uk
0845 680 6780
Climate Energy Limited
Ethika
www.climateenergy.org.uk
0800 0352 327
www.ethika.org.uk
0117 975 8634
Network Green Deal Limited
Michael Dyson Associates Limited
www.greendealnet.co.uk
01572 725 530
www.mdyson.co.uk
01484 666 888
Green Deal Union Ltd
1 Green Place
www.greendealunion.com
0800 046 9190
www.thegreendeal.co.uk
0845 626 2255
The Green Deal Wales.com
Intellygen Energy Audits
www.thegreendealwales.com
0800 810 1060
www.intellygen.com
0121 288 1494
We Greenerise Ltd
Tameside Energy Services Ltd
www.we-greenerise.com
0800 779 7002
www.tamesideenergyservices.co.uk
0800 093 0998
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
Green Deal Assessors Ltd
Quodox Energy Ltd
www.greendealassessors.biz
0800 599 9110
www.quodox.co.uk
0208 908 5141
Green Deal Savings Ltd
Eco Deal Ltd
www.greendealsavingsltd.co.uk
0845 835 0606
www.eco-deal.co.uk
01706 625 375
AAA Green Deal Assessors Ltd
Green4Homes Ltd
www.aaagreendealassessors.co.uk
01639 897 401
www.greendeal4homes.com
0208 835 7076
digitalenergy Ltd
Solarwise Renewables Limited
www.digitalenergy.org.uk
0845 003 9087
01443 492 532
InstaGroup Limited
Northgate Information Solutions
www.northgate-energy.com
0845 217 9778
www.instagroup.co.uk/greendeal
0800 051 7420
Eco Advisory Ltd
Enhance Energy Solutions Ltd
www.enhanceenergy.co.uk
01792 650 001
www.ecoadvisory.co.uk
01482 772 518
Toriga Energy Limited
Vibrant Energy Matters Ltd
www.vibrantenergymatters.co.uk
0845 0945 192
26
www.toriga-energy.com
08456 806 556
Eulinx Energy Services
BeExpress Energy Advisors
01538 788 083
www.beexpress.co.uk/greendeal
0208 454 7375
CV Energy Ltd.
www.cvenergy.co.uk
01926 857 894
Green Deal Advisor Association
www.GDAA.org.uk
01572 725 533
GHE Solar Limited
www.ghesolar.co.uk
01635 202 612
CarbonLow Real Estate Limited
www.carbonlowgreendeal.co.uk
08456 346 071 / 01246 452 982
Osborne Energy Limited
www.osborneenergy.co.uk
01424 436 793
Eco Technical Services (UK) Ltd
www.ecotechnicals.co.uk
0844 504 0250
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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILLS
Sarah introducing Minister Chris Grayling MP to partners tackling fuel poverty in
Cornwall at the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Sarah Newton MP
Member of Parliament for Truro &
Falmouth
18 Lemon Street
Truro
Cornwall
TR1 2LZ
01872 274 760
[email protected]
www.sarahnewton.org.uk
@SarahNewtonMP
28