Please share this message from the Keep Herefordshire Warm team with anyone who you think might benefit from this help over the coming winter months:
Get £140 off your electricity bill for winter 2017-2018 under the government’s Warm Home Discount Scheme
Thousands of households in Herefordshire may be eligible for a £140 reduction to their electricity bill if they act quickly. For winter 2017-18, some energy suppliers are closing applications soon and householders are being urged to seek advice and apply now if they think they may be eligible.
The discount is available to those on a low income, and in receipt of certain means-tested benefits. As long as your energy supplier on 9 July 2017 was part of the scheme, you may be eligible if you or a member of your household receives employment related benefits, is over 65, or has a disability; if you live with a child under 18; or if you spend a significant portion of your income on energy bills. The criteria varies between energy suppliers, so if you think you may be entitled to the discount, Warmer Homes Stafford are advising you to contact them to check your eligibility.
The discount is also available to those receiving the Guarantee Credit element of the Pension Credit, in which case an application is unnecessary as this ‘core group’ will be contacted in Autumn 2017 by the government.
In recent months, the UK’s ‘Big 6’ energy providers have announced electricity price increases that look set to cost their customers an additional £100 in household energy bills each year. To those who are eligible, the £140 Warm Home Discount can help to negate this increase.
Oliver Rothwell, Project manager for Keep Herefordshire Warm said:
“Those households who have the least to spend on energy bills are likely to feel these price increases the hardest, including households on the lowest incomes or where particular health conditions call for extra heat at home. We are delighted that the Warm Home Discount is returning and is able to benefit some of Herefordshire’s most vulnerable households”.
Keep Herefordshire Warm are urging householders to apply as soon as possible, as some applications are set to close as early as October. Funding is allocated on a ‘first-come, first-serve’ basis, so those who meet the criteria must act quickly to confirm their receipt of the £140 discount.
“It is vital that applications are made as soon as possible to ensure that Herefordshire residents don’t miss out” said Oliver.
If you think you may be eligible, please contact Keep Herefordshire Warm for free on 0800 677 1432
If an eligible applicant is successful, £140 will automatically be deducted by the provider from their winter 2017-18 energy bill by the end of March 2018. The Warm Home Discount is separate from, and will not affect, any Cold Weather Payments or Winter Fuel Payments.
The HGN team are thrilled to have been awarded a grant from Greggs to support local Make Do & Mend initiatives at the Kindle Community Centre in Hereford.
July will see some free, live, online sessions with our events and publicity coordinator Rebecca who is also an experienced volunteer management trainer. All welcome!
