With winter approaching, and the increase in energy prices, people may be worried about affording their energy bills and keeping up with payments. Citizens Advice want to let people know that help is available.
It’s understandable to feel anxious about energy bills at this time of year. If you’re struggling to afford your bills, it’s important to act quickly; support is available and there are things you can do to ensure you’re not overpaying.
The first thing is to contact your energy supplier – they’re responsible for helping you come to a solution, like setting up an affordable repayment plan if you’ve fallen behind. If you’re behind on your bills, Citizens Advice can also help with debt advice.
Energy bills can go up and down for many reasons, and if you think your bills don’t look right, you should check to see if they’re based on accurate readings. You might be getting estimated bills if your smart meter has stopped automatically sending readings, or if you have a non-smart meter and haven’t sent a reading for a while.
To help make your home easier and cheaper to heat, you might be able to apply for support with the cost of energy efficiency upgrades like insulation, a new boiler or a heat pump.
To identify the support that may be available, Citizens Advice Dorset Energy Team provides free energy advice to households across Dorset. They offer energy efficiency advice, help with billing and supplier issues, meter problems and can provide free CO monitors. They also have an Energy Bus that stops at locations around Dorset offering free energy advice to residents.
If you attend a local group or event, the energy team can give free energy talks which cover energy saving tips and advice whilst answering questions from the group.
They also offer free fuel poverty & energy advice training for frontline workers, working with vulnerable people who may be at risk of fuel poverty. You will learn how to recognise people struggling with fuel poverty and offer the right support. Online training is free to attend for anyone working or volunteering in a frontline role.
For more information about the training and the energy advice talks contact the Dorset Energy Team, by calling the Energy Line on 01929 775500, leave a message and someone will return your call. Or email: [email protected] or visit their website for more information: www.edpcitizensadvice.org.uk/energy
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