Assistance and Grants

• Coronavirus - fuel bill assistance
• Free energy advice workshops for over 50s
• SHINE London
• Warmer Homes - Mayor of London scheme
• Energy Company Obligation
• Contacts

If you’re struggling to keep your home warm or to afford your energy bills, you might be able to take advantage of certain grants and support offered by the government and energy suppliers.

Help with energy bills - coronavirus

The government has an agreement with energy suppliers to assist those who might be finding it difficult to power their home during the coronavirus outbreak. If you are struggling with money problems or are repaying a debt, options will include:

• Reviewing bill payment plans, including debt repayment plans
• Payment breaks or reductions in how much you pay
• Giving you greater time to pay
• In some cases access to hardship funds

No credit meters will be disconnected during the outbreak.

If you have a prepay meter and inform your supplier that you’re self-isolating at home, they will try to help you find other ways to keep your energy supply connected. For example,

• Let someone else top up for you
• Add funds to your account
• Send you a pre-loaded top-up card

You’ll need to pay back any credit your supplier gives you - ask them when and how you’ll need to do this.

Please use the following phone numbers:

• British Gas: 0333 202 9802
• EDF: 0333 200 5100
• EON: 0345 052 000
• N Power: 0800 073 3000
• Scottish Power: 0800 027 0072
• SSE: 0345 026 2658

Haringey’s partner SHINE London can also provide support to households struggling with their energy bills (see below).

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Free energy advice workshops for over 50s

Haringey's reach and Connect partners are running free energy advice Zoom workshops for the over 50s.

You can find out how to:

• Make your home more energy efficient
• Save money on your bills

An energy adviser will be on hand to answer questions and there is a free goody bag for everyone taking part.

Places are limited. Please use the links below to register for a session:

• Monday 3 August - Workshop 1 (external link)
• Monday 17 August - Workshop 2 (external link)
• Tuesday 8 September - Workshop 3 (external link)
• Tuesday 15 September - Workshop 4 (external link)

For any enquiries regarding these workshops, contact:

• Tel: 020 3196 1905
• Email: hello@reachandconnect.net

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SHINE London

Haringey has partnered with the SHINE London energy advice service to help residents keep well and warm and reduce the anxiety of paying for large fuel bills.

Referrals are accepted for any vulnerable resident but the following groups are particularly important:

• Those aged over 65
• Those with respiratory or cardiovascular disease
• Those with other long term limiting illness
• Low income families with children
• Households spending 10% or more of their income on energy

Following a discussion with a Shine London representative vulnerable residents can benefit from a number of services including:

• Advice on saving energy and grants available for heating and insulation
• Support with bills and energy debt
• 'Energy Doctor in the Home' home visiting service
• Benefit checks 
• Falls assessments
• Telecare applications
• Fire safety checks (from London Fire Brigade)
• Home security checks (from the police)
• Air quality alerts for people with respiratory diseases (from airTEXT)
• Stop Smoking services
• London Taxicard
• And more

Contact SHINE

You can make a referral to Shine online by visiting the Shine website (external link).

Alternatively:

• Telephone: 0300 555 0195
• Email: contact@shine-london.org.uk

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Warmer Homes - Mayor of London scheme

If you’re a London homeowner on benefits you may be eligible for a free boiler, insulation, double glazing or other improvements to help you heat your home more affordably.

Warmer Homes is Mayor Sadiq Khan’s £2.5m scheme to help Londoners stay warm and save on their energy bills.

It's first-come, first-served, so get your application in early to avoid disappointment. You can apply online (external link) or you can contact SHINE to refer you (see above for contact details).

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Energy Company Obligation (ECO)

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a government energy efficiency scheme to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty. There are two streams to this funding:

The Affordable warmth obligation

This provides help for people who might be vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home, like pensioners or young children. You are eligible under this aspect of ECO if you receive at least one of the following benefits and satisfy the relevant income requirements, where applicable:

• Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
• Income support
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Tax Credits (on certain conditions)
• Universal Credit (on certain conditions)

There is also a Flexible Eligibility element. This allows the council to set criteria to direct assistance towards local private sector homes at risk of fuel poverty, but falling outside of the normal rules of ECO. Residents meeting the criteria, set out in Haringey's Statement of Intent (PDF, 260KB), can be assumed eligible by Energy Companies for ECO funded energy efficiency improvements.

For assistance to apply for this funding please contact Shine London.

Carbon emissions reduction obligation

Your energy supplier could help you financially with:

• Insulating solid walls that might need cladding on either the inside or outside (usually on older buildings)
• Cavity wall insulation for homes built after the 1930s
• Loft insulation
• Connections to district heating systems
• Double glazing
• Draught proofing

Contact the Energy Saving Advice Service in England (0300 123 1234) if you have questions about the scheme and on whether you are eligible.

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Contact

For further information about grants and assistance please keep visiting these pages, or you can contact us:

• Email: affordable.warmth@haringey.gov.uk
• Tel: 020 8489 3489

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