Big Energy Saving Week
Big Energy Saving Week is a national campaign by Citizens Advice and Energy Saving Trust to help you cut your energy bills and get all the financial support you are entitled to.
Simple changes, such as switching energy supplier/tariff, accessing discounts/grants and making your home more energy efficient, can make big differences - saving energy, cutting fuel bills and lessening your impact on the environment.
What help is available?
A variety of help is available through benefits, grants and schemes to help people who struggle with the costs of their energy bills.
Turn2us resources
If you are struggling financially, you can use our Benefits Calculator to check your entitlement to benefits and our Grants Search to see if you are eligible for help from a charitable fund, based on your personal circumstances and needs.
The Your Situation section on our website contains information resources on benefits and grants. There is also a Find an Adviser tool to help you find face-to-face advice in your local area.
Warm Home Discount
Your electricity supplier may have signed up to the Warm Home Discount Scheme which offers a one-off discount of £140 (for the Winter period 2019-2020) from your electricity bill. You may be eligible if you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (core group) or are on a low income and meet your energy supplier's criteria for the scheme (broader group).
Winter Fuel Payment
A Winter Fuel Payment is a one-off, tax-free payment of between £100 and £300 made to people born on or before 5 April 1954 during the winter to help with heating costs.
Cold Weather Payments
Cold Weather Payments, paid to people on certain benefits, help with fuel costs during periods of very cold weather. The period of cold weather must cover seven consecutive days, between 1 November and 31 March, when the average temperature must be zero degrees Celsius or below.
Help from your energy company
Some energy companies have set up charitable trusts to help customers pay for fuel arrears. See our Energy Schemes guide.
Priority Services Register
If you are of pensionable age, living with a disability, chronic illness or visual or hearing impairment (or someone in your household is), ask your energy supplier if you are eligible for its Priority Services Register. This provides you with free extra services and may help protect you from disconnection if you struggle to pay your energy bills (if your supplier has signed up to the Energy UK Safety Net scheme).
Grants for energy efficiency
Making your home more energy efficient can make it warmer and reduce energy bills. There are several schemes that may be able to help you with energy efficiency - from the Government, energy suppliers, local councils and other sources. See the Turn2us Energy Efficiency guide
Citizens Advice and Energy Saving Trust have produced a 20-Ways-to-Save Energy-List-(PDF-file-size:-1.30mb)
Living Without Essential Appliances
Too many people are living in houses without essential household items and facing the resulting financial, physical and emotional penalties. We want to support those already struggling and contribute to a long term solution.
The Turn2us #LivingWithout campaign highlights the true scale and impact of appliance poverty in the UK. Our report sets out a series of solutions to help get a fridge, freezer, washing machine and cooker in every home. This includes help from many charitable funds listed on the Turn2us Grants Search.
Switch supplier
Switching supplier takes a matter of minutes and can save you a lot of money.
Citizens Advice have a Energy price comparison tool and information on switching supplier.
Independent Age have a Switching supplier guide
Get advice
The best way to find out how to reduce your energy use is to get some specialist energy saving advice. The Energy Saving Trust website has general information on home energy efficiency. You can also look at the Simple Energy Advice website or call the helpline on: 0800 444 2020.
If you live in Scotland, you can access advice and information through Home Energy Scotland's network of local advice centres, which can be contacted on 0808 808 2282.
In Wales, energy saving advice is available through Nest/Nyth, which can be contacted on 0808 808 2244.
In Northern Ireland, Bryson Energy Advice Line can advise you further. Telephone: 0800 142 2865
You can also contact your local Citizens Advice bureau, which can provide free, confidential and impartial advice to help you make changes to your energy use that could lead to significant savings.
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