CHANGEWORKS SESSION – MONDAY 16 DECEMBER 11am – 12pm
Come along to the free energy advice event with Changeworks at the Heart of Newhaven on Monday 16th December from 11.00 -12.00
Managing your heating and electricity can feel overwhelming.
Whether it’s understanding your bill, managing any debt, or accessing funding you’re entitled to – Changeworks can give you free and impartial advice and support to feel confident about your bills.
Leith’s biggest social landlord, Harbour Homes, has made a successful bid on behalf of the ARCHIE partnership for funding from the Energy Redress Scheme.
The £172,089 grant will cover the cost of two Energy Advisors to continue providing a service to tenants of seven registered social landlords operating across Edinburgh for a further two years.
The service will help households to address fuel poverty and increase energy efficiency. This can include assisting with applications for subsidies and funding to help with bills.
The Energy Advisors may also liaise with energy providers to ensure the best deal and help resolve any disputes on the customer’s behalf.
Households who can benefit from the funding are those who rent a home from one of the seven locally based ARCHIE partners.
Alongside Harbour Homes, the project partners are Lister Housing Co-operative, Manor Estates Housing Association, Muirhouse Housing Association, Prospect Community Housing, Viewpoint Housing Association and West Granton Housing Co-operative.
Fiona Whitelaw, Tenant Advice Team Leader at Harbour Homes said: “Our Energy Advisors will continue to build on the work we’ve been doing across Edinburgh to advise and advocate for tenants whose quality of life is impacted by high energy costs or energy debts.”
Claire Ironside, CEO of Manor Estates Housing Association and Chair of ARCHIE said: “We are delighted that Harbour Homes, as the lead partner in this project, has successfully secured further funding to ensure that the tenants of all partners benefit from the energy advice service that can be provided as a result.”
Kevin Wilson, Housing Services Manager at Harbour Homes said: “I’m proud of the hard work our Tenant Advice Team has put into securing this funding on behalf of ARCHIE.
“Sharing resources with our fellow ARCHIE partners helps to provide value for money and keep rents affordable.”
Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps today (Monday 28 November) launches a government push to help millions of people across the country bring down their energy costs for this winter and beyond.
It is part of wider action this week across energy policy to help the UK meet its ambition of becoming energy independent.
Under plans announced today, the new ECO+ scheme will extend support to those who do not currently benefit from any other government support to upgrade their homes. Joining the existing £6.6 billion ‘Help to Heat’ energy schemes this new £1 billion funding will ensure hundreds of thousands more households benefit from new home insulation and with that, lower bills.
Plus a new £18 million public information campaign will also offer technical tips and advice for people to cut their energy use, while also keeping warm this winter. Alongside the impact on their bills from the Energy Price Guarantee, the campaign will demonstrate how consumers can make significant savings.
Of the £1 billion funding available through the new ECO+ scheme, around 80% of the funding will be made available for those households who are in some of the least energy-efficient homes in the country – that is, those with an EPC rating of D or below – and in the lower Council Tax bands.
This will benefit those households who do not currently benefit from any other government support to upgrade their homes. Around a fifth of the fund will also be targeted to those who are the most vulnerable, including those on means tested benefits or in fuel poverty.
On top of this, the government will significantly expand its Help for Households campaign to help customers to reduce their own household energy usage and bills, while also giving vulnerable groups the right information for doing this without harming their health.
This includes promoting some of the government’s top recommended actions to help households save money on their energy bills, such as:
It also comes ahead of the Business and Energy Secretary setting out his latest package of measures to deliver home-grown, affordable energy – helping to cut bills and bolster the country’s long-term energy security and independence.
Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The government put immediate help in place to support households in the wake of global energy price rises caused by Putin’s illegal march on Ukraine. Today, we launch the first of many measures to ensure the British public are never put in this position again as we work towards an energy independent future.
“A new ECO scheme will enable thousands more to insulate their homes, protecting the pounds in their pockets, and creating jobs across the country.
“And in the short term, our new public information campaign will also give people the tools they need to reduce their energy use while keeping warm this winter.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “With Putin’s war driving up gas prices worldwide, I know many families are feeling worried about their energy bills this winter and beyond. Our extensive energy support package is insulating people from the worst of this crisis, but we’re also supporting people to permanently cut their costs.
“In the longer term, we need to make Britain more energy independent by generating more clean, affordable, home-grown power, but we also need more efficient homes and buildings.
“Our new ECO+ scheme will help hundreds of thousands of people across the UK to better insulate their homes to reduce consumption, with the added benefit of saving families hundreds of pounds each year.”
Making homes more energy efficient is the best way to cut household energy use and is already helping reduce household energy bills, while also creating jobs across the country.
Since it was launched in January 2013, the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) schemes have delivered as many as 3.5 million energy-efficiency measures in around 2.4 million homes. The ECO+ scheme, which will run from spring 2023 for up to 3 years, extends that support even further and will see hundreds of thousands of households receive new insulation, saving them around £310 a year.
By rolling out predominantly low-cost insulation measures such as loft insulation and cavity wall insulation, the ECO+ scheme will support the government’s new ambition to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030. The £1 billion scheme is backed by a new £6 billion investment to contribute to the existing £6.6 billion energy efficiency funding pot.
The new funding pot will also provide long-term funding certainty across for the industry, supporting the growth of supply chains and green jobs in the sector, as the government takes further action to tackle fuel poverty and reduce energy bills.
Improving the energy efficiency of UK homes is a crucial part of the government’s strategy. Thanks to government support so far, the number of homes with an energy efficiency rating of C or above is at 46% and rising, up from just 13% in 2010.
The UK Government is investing over £6.6 billion over this Parliament to help decarbonise homes and buildings, and to ensure all homes meet EPC band C by 2035. An additional £6 billion of new government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028. Further details on allocation of additional funding will follow in due course.
To further support households and help meet the government’s new energy demand reduction target, the government has also expanded its public awareness campaign to help reduce bills for households and protect vulnerable people over the winter and beyond.
Backed by £18 million, this campaign will complement existing government support schemes. such as the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme and the information provided will save households money.
For example, if a typical household reduced their boiler flow temperature from 75⁰C to 60⁰C and turned down radiators in empty rooms, they could save £160 a year on their energy bill at current prices. This also has the benefit of reducing the temperature a boiler heats water to before sending it to radiators, while making no difference to the temperature a room is actually heated to.
Information will be available on the existing Help for Households website.
Immediate funding is being awarded to key energy advice organisations to make sure energy customers can access crucial support and advice to deal with rising energy bills and heating costs.
More than £1.2 million will be distributed to help key agencies, including Advice Direct Scotland, Home Energy Scotland and Citizen’s Advice Scotland, reach more people who need help.
The funding will also support a training programme for staff from third sector organisations to expand the reach of expert advice.
The Scottish Government committed to providing additional support to advice agencies at the Scottish Energy Summit hosted by the First Minister on Tuesday 23 August, at which a series of further actions to mitigate the energy price rises were agreed with energy companies and advice organisations.
The additional funding announced today is on top of the Scottish Government’s existing investment in free income, welfare and debt advice services, including support to Money Advice Scotland and the Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships Programme.
Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings and Tenants Rights Patrick Harvie visited Home Energy Scotland’s Edinburgh offices to speak to advisors who have been supporting households.
Mr Harvie said: “We know that this is an incredibly unsettling time for all households and businesses and it is imperative that those worried about or struggling with heating their homes access the information and support they need to reduce their energy bills.
“A further energy price cap increase announcement will only serve to escalate concerns, making the need for impartial, expert advice and support even more vital.
“The Scottish Government is clear that energy customers simply cannot be expected to carry the burden of further price rises in October, and that the UK Government must now commit to freeze the cap for all households and to support energy companies to deliver that.
“In the meantime, the cost crisis is already hitting energy customers hard and the Scottish Government will continue to do everything within our means to support the people of Scotland through it.
“This funding will ensure that expert advisors across the country stand ready to provide crucial support and guidance to those understandably worried about their energy bills. I would urge everyone who has concerns to access these services and get the support they need.”
A total of £1.268 million will be distributed across energy advice services as follows:
The Scottish Government estimates that 906,000 or 36% of all households will be in fuel poverty in October 2022, based on an Ofgem price cap of £2,800 and taking into account previously announced government mitigations.
The Scottish Government has allocated almost £3 billion in this financial year that will help households face the increased cost of living. This includes the provision of services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK that is helping to reduce everyday costs and increase incomes.
It also includes £10 million to continue the Fuel Insecurity Fund which helps households at risk of severely rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely. This includes direct support for households using any tariff or fuel type, and is delivered via trusted third sector partners the Fuel Bank Foundation, Advice Direct Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.
Local resident Anne Burns told MSP Ben Macpherson how the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme has helped her become warmer and more comfortable in her home through the installation of energy efficiency measures. Continue reading Warm welcome for energy efficiency scheme
Zero Waste Scotland has launched two new, easy-to-use guides to help businesses in Scotland to improve their bottom line figures, just by following some simple energy-saving tips. Continue reading Energy-saving advice from Zero Waste Scotland
