Families struggling with energy debt can get grant funding through the British Gas Energy Trust, as its Individuals and Families fund has relaunched.
Anyone who meets the criteria can apply, as there is no need to be a British Gas customer to file an application.
To apply for a grant, a person must meet all of these criteria:
- A resident of England, Scotland or Wales
- Have not received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last two years
- Seeking a grant to clear an outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual fuel energy account
- The account must be in the person’s name or a member of their household, and it must relate to their main residence
- Have an electric or gas debt and be facing fuel poverty
- Already have received help from a money advice agency.
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Phil Foster, CEO of Love Energy Savings, encouraged those who are eligible to consider applying for the support.
He said: “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s about being honest with yourself and not letting pride get in the way of practicality.
“It’s practical support to help navigate you and your family through this challenging period. If you’ve identified that you need help, you’ve taken these steps and accepted that this is the practical solution, please keep your head high and accept the support on offer.”
He said applying for a grant through the trust is all online and easy to do. He explained: “There aren’t too many hoops to jump through. They simply need to provide proof of their household’s income, that they’ve received money advice in the past three months, and a recent metre reading or gas/electricity bill.”
Jo Allen is utilities customer experience expert at Pegasystems and she is was previously a customer experience manager at British Gas.
She said: “The guidelines provided by the British Gas Energy Trust, have set it out clearly that this funding will be available for those in fuel poverty and those who have already sought financial support.
“While making these grants available is great, it is essential that energy providers do more to prevent all customers getting into money problems in the first place.
“Identifying customers who are at risk of going into debt is hard to do and there is evidence that current customer service systems struggle to support staff who want to help customers. These grants feel like a last resort rather than a proactive solution.”
She warned many people feel uncomfortable recognising they have got into debt which can make the situation worse.
She said the energy industry can do more to make sure there are ways for people to get help without feeling embarrassed.
The expert said: “This could be done through allowing customers to contact their supplier through a channel which makes sense to them.
“However, as energy providers cannot cut customers off, they are more likely to be paying other bills, such as their mobile phone bill, rather than their energy bill.”
Rebecca Armstrong, managing director of Making Energy Greener, said of the British Gas fund: “This funding would be particularly helpful for individuals and families on low incomes, those receiving Government benefits such as Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit, or Employment and Support Allowance, and those who have special circumstances such as a recent income reduction due to illness or other hardships.”
Many other suppliers have similar funds in place to help their own customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills, including Eon, EDF, Scottish Power and Octopus.
Consumers who cannot afford their bills may also want to approach their supplier to ask if they can create a tailored payment plan.
People can also get confidential debt advice from groups such as National Debtline, StepChange, and Citizens Advice.
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