Burnham-On-Sea and Bridgwater MP Ashley Fox attended a parliamentary drop-in this week hosted by Citizens Advice and Energy UK to find out about what support is available to local residents with energy bills this winter.
The MP spoke to several volunteers to discover all they are doing to help people cope with the rise in the energy price cap.
“Vulnerable people are affected the hardest, and many pensioners might now struggle after the Labour Government have stripped them of the Winter Fuel Allowance – including over 19,000 people in Bridgwater,” he said.
Support available to local residents:
Contacting your supplier
Suppliers can often offer a range of support such as repayment plans, payment holidays, or credit advances on prepayment meters. If you don’t know who your energy supplier is, it should be listed on your bill. If you can’t find your electricity supplier, you can find it by typing your postcode into the Energy Network Association website. If you don’t know who provides your gas, enter your postcode into the Find My Supplier search tool.
Priority Services Register
If you’re disabled, have electric medical devices, are pregnant, or fall into a number of other categories, you can sign up to the Priority Services Register. It’s free to register, and with permission, shares information between energy suppliers and network operators about people who might need additional support.
Make your home more energy-efficient
If you’re struggling with bills right now, investing in energy efficiency measures might feel out of reach. However, there are several government schemes to help you with home energy-saving improvements, including:
- The Energy Company Obligation if you are on benefits or live in social housing.
- The Great British Insulation Scheme if your property is within a certain energy rating and council tax band.
- The Home Upgrade Grant if you own a home in England with no boiler.
Getting Independent Debt Advice
- For help and advice from Citizens Advice, call 0808 223 1133 or visit their website.
- If you’re struggling with debt, you can also reach out to the National Debtline on 0808 808 4000.
- For disability-specific advice, contact the charity Scope on 0808 800 3333.
- Pensioners can contact the charity Age UK for advice on 0808 678 1602.
If you live in the Burnham-On-Sea Bridgwater constituency and you’re struggling with your bills and can’t find support from any of these sources, you can also reach out to the office of Ashley Fox MP directly via email at ashley.fox.mp@parliament.uk
