Natalie Colah, energy caseworker for Citizens Advice Rural Cambs, talks about energy prices and how to navigate rising prices in these challenging times.
One of the main causes of this struggle is ‘fuel poverty’, where the household income is low while energy costs are high.
Many people are either not claiming the benefits they are entitled to, or are receiving less than they could be. Furthermore, many struggle to budget on their existing income. At Citizens Advice, we can carry out benefit checks, support clients through the claiming process and assist with budgeting in order to maximize monthly income.
Could you, your landlord or Housing Association improve your property’s energy performance? This covers a range of features, including heating systems, insulation and windows, to name a few. Homeowners on a low income could receive grants towards improving the energy efficiency of their property.
There are changes in our everyday actions, which we can all do to reduce costs such as: switching to low-energy bulbs, washing laundry at 30 degrees, using a shower timer and using heating/hot water systems efficiently.
If you’d like to chat to us about how we can help you achieve any of the above, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a holistic assessment of your options.
The Winter Fuel Payment is designed to support most pensioners with the increased cost of winter fuel bills. In July 2024 it was announced that this was now only available to pensioners claiming certain benefits.
The Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) will only be paid to people born before September 23, 1958 and in receipt of Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), and tax credits. This will cover mixed age couples and people who are working/responsible for children, so it’s really important to check whether you are eligible.
Depending on your circumstances, benefits eligibility can be a complex topic. We recommend either contacting us for a benefits check-up or going online to Turn2us for an online benefits calculation: https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/.
Once you know which low-income benefit you might be eligible for, we can advise on the claiming process or there is lots of information on how to claim on the Citizens Advice or GOV.UK websites.
Contact: Adviceline 0808 278 7807 or www.citizensadviceruralcambs.org.uk
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