The energy industrys safety net for vulnerable customers

1
The energy industrys safety net for vulnerable
customers

• The Employee Retirement Association
• 19 September 2007
• Oliver Wright
• Energy Retail Association

2
Help for vulnerable customers

• The energy industry voluntarily spends over 100m
  a year to provide a range of schemes to support
  its vulnerable customers.
• Since 2002 the six major energy suppliers have
  also spent over 1 billion on energy saving
  schemes that support vulnerable households, and
  this commitment is set to increase in future
  years.

3
Fuel Poverty

• This is all part of a wider plan to help the
  Government to meet its target to eliminate fuel
  poverty by 2010.

• A household is defined by the Government as
  living in fuel poverty if they are spending 10
  of their income on their fuel bills. According
  to energywatch, Fuel poverty is caused by income
  level (60), housing quality (20) and fuel
  prices (20).

4
What help can your energy supplier provide?

• Industry funded services to support vulnerable
  customers and help alleviate fuel poverty
  include
• The Priority Service Register which provides
  extra services for people who are elderly or
  disabled
• Grants for free home insulation
• Help with fuel debts including
• Flexible payment options
• Trust funds to help with people in fuel debt
• The disconnection safety net which means that
  vulnerable customers will not be cut off even if
  they are unable to pay their bills

5
Who is eligible for this help?

• Elderly people over 60 years old
• Disabled people
• People with long term health conditions
• People living on benefits such as
• Pension Credit
• Income support
• Housing benefit
• Council tax benefit
• DLA
• Child tax credit (income lower then 14,600)

6
How to access the help available?

• Call your Energy Supplier and ask what help you
  are entitled to. They may put you through to a
  specialist team who deal with vulnerable
  customers.
• British Gas (Insulation 0845 971 77 31)
• EDF Energy (Energy Efficiency Freephone 0800 096
  9966)
• npower (Energy Efficiency 0800 02 22 20)
• Powergen (Energy Efficiency 0500 201 000)
• Scottish and Southern Energy (Careline for
  priority services register 0800 622 838)
  Energy Efficiency advice (0845 777 66 33)
• Scottish Power (Care Free 0800 88 99 00) (call
  next year)
• You can also contact the Home Heat Helpline on
  0800 33 66 99

7
Getting the message out

• Last year the energy industry worked with the
  Government to reach some of the most vulnerable
  elderly people.Using data from the DWP, the
  energy industry funded a mailing to 100,000
  pensioners over 80 to encourage them to access
  free insulation.
• This year we are discussing with the Government,
  the best way to target those most at risk from
  fuel poverty this winter. There may be a mailing
  to even more elderly people encouraging access to
  free insulation from their energy suppliers.

8
What other help is available?

• The Governments Warm Front initiative will
  provide a grant to replace or improve your
  heating system. Grants can be up to 2,700.Warm
  Front also offers insulation for elderly
  customers call 0800 072 9006.
• Energy Efficiency Advice centres 0800 512 012

9
For more information

• Oliver Wright
• Campaign Manager
• Energy Retail Association
• 0207 747 5436
• oliver.wright_at_energy-retail.org.uk