John Baron MP: 9,000 homes in Basildon Borough eligible for home heating assistance

MP urges residents to take advantage of scheme

As British households prepare to face the cold winter, new research reveals 9,000 households in Basildon Borough are eligible for assistance from their energy supplier with heating their homes. The findings from Home Heat Helpline show that a total of 3.6 million households across Great Britain qualify for help.

12% of homes in Basildon Borough are entitled to relief from energy companies this year. Households that qualify include low income pensioners, disadvantaged families with children or those with a disability, or any household that lives in one of the most deprived areas in the country. Support includes insulation and boilers, with many elderly and low income families qualifying for the £135 Warm Home Discount on energy bills.

John said:

“Forecasters are predicting a cold winter ahead, and many people who are elderly or on low incomes may not know where to turn for help and advice on keeping their homes warm. I urge people to call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to see if they’re eligible for assistance.”

Angela Knight, Chief Executive, Energy UK:

“We need to look at ways to improve efficiency to keep homes warmer and energy bills lower. A free, confidential call to the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 can be made in minutes and can save up to £300 per home.”

Ends

Word Count: 243

Date: 19^th December 2013

Notes to Editors

• Vulnerable households are urged to call the confidential, free Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to find out if they qualify, and to ascertain the type of support they may be able to receive to keep their homes warm. The helpline offers impartial advice to vulnerable people who are worried about their energy bills and staying warm during the winter.
• Last winter the Home Heat Helpline assisted over 42,000 people across Britain with approximately £250 energy savings per household.
• Since 2005, the Home Heat Helpline has helped over 330,000 callers to keep their home warm by accessing grants for new boilers, insulations, discounts and rebate schemes. To find out more, call 0800 33 66 99 to speak to a friendly advisor, or use our Energy Checker to find out if you are eligible.
• The Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) is funded by Britain’s major energy suppliers and supported by a range of support organisations including Age UK, Citizens Advice; National Energy Action, Energy Saving Trust and Gingerbread.
• For further information please contact:

Press enquiries

Jo Monery

Red Consultancy

HomeHeatHelplineTeam@redconsultancy.com

Press line: 020 7025 6648

Abi Gibson, Media Relations Manager

Energy UK

abigail.gibson@energy-uk.org.uk

Phone: 020 7747 2946

http://www.homeheathelpline.org.uk/

• The attached table shows the number of households (and percentage) in each Local authority area that are eligible for assistance with their energy bills. The table also ranks the constituencies in order from 1 (highest number / percentage of eligible households) to 377 (least number / percentage of eligible households).